Several environmental researchers were given administrative punishments for a corrupt project they were responsible for, the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) announced on Wednesday.
The project was a national program on water pollution and treatment, during the 11th five-year plan period (2006-2010), covering China's major lakes, rivers and urban drinking water.
During the third round of discipline inspection by the central inspection team, it was found that the project involved abuse of state funds allocated to the project, plagiarism and accounting irregularities.
Several researchers with the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, including Meng Wei, chief technician of the project, and Song Yonghui, head of the project, were given punishment ranging from administrative admonition to recording of demerit.
Universities participating in the project were ordered to return the research grants.
