Second former University of Queensland researcher to appear in court to face fraud charges

by Ivan Oransky

Bruce Murdoch, a neuroscientist formerly of the University of Queensland, will appear in court next week to face fraud charges stemming from an investigation that has already led to three retractions and similar charges for one of his colleagues.

Bruce Murdoch

Here’s the notice from the Crime and Corruption Commission:   [https://www.ccc.qld.gov.au/news-and-media/ccc-media-releases/former-researcher-to-face-court-over-alleged-fraud-2014-12.12.2014]

The Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) has issued a former University of Queensland researcher with a Notice to Appear in court on 16 fraud-related offences.

The CCC will allege that the 64-year-old Wivenhoe Pocket man fabricated research findings and fraudulently applied for public and private research funding. It will be further alleged that he produced false reports on the progress of research.

The CCC today issued the man with a Notice to Appear in court on the following offences:

• 3 x Fraud, contrary to section 408C of the Queensland Criminal Code
• 1 x Forge and utter, contrary to section 488 of the Queensland Criminal Code
• 7 x Fraudulent falsification of records, contrary to section 430 of the Queensland Criminal Code
• 5 x General dishonesty, contrary to section 135.1 of the Commonwealth Criminal Code

The man is scheduled to appear in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on 19 December 2014.

As a result of the same investigation, on 31 October 2014 the CCC issued a 29-year-old Kuraby woman with a Notice to Appear in court on fraud-related offences [see previous media release]

The investigation is now finalised.

As the matter is before the courts, the CCC will not comment further.

Murdoch’s former colleague and the 29-year-old woman referred to in the notice, Caroline Barwood, appeared in court on November 5 and was granted bail.

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[Note:  Not only does experimental scientific fraud from the research bench corrupt the various fields of science per se for decades, but that same fraudulent experimental bench research data is then unwittingly (or not!) used as the very basis for multiple medical research and therapeutic purposes and therapies, including the creation of “drug models” used by the drug industry for producing drugs sold to the public, as well as used as the very basis for designing the protocols for the use of human subjects in clinical trials (which are by definition “therapeutic research”).  Thus such fraudulent bench research fraud is a danger to the very health and welfare of the public -- and thus should be carefully investigated.  Fortunately, the following account of research fraud is being met with more than just a silly slap on the wrist -- and could ultimately save many innocent lives.  The article first appeared here.--  DNI]