Penkowa: Offices changed, paperwork put in boxes

At the exact time as neuroscientist Penkowa, her lawyer, and four officers from the police fraud squad went through her old offices at the Panum Institute Friday morning , a formal police charge was announced for fraud and forgery. Nothing surprising, according to her lawyer Kåre Pihlmann, to news site jp.dk

»The charge was expected and a formality, even though it comes late,« he says.

According to the police charge, she has forged log books with animal experiments and a contract on animal experiments at a laboratory in Barcelona. She is also suspected of forging copies of faxes with the lab on a large number of rats for experiments.

Room no longer exists

Milena Penkowa has not had access to the Faculty of Health Sciences since she was suspended from her position as Professor in March 2010.

According to her, things look alot different at her office now.

»It was strange to be there. One room no longer existed, but is now part of the Centre for Healthy Aging. It has changed completely and has had a distinct corporate makeover. it could now be like any medical company,« she says.

Penkowa: Everybody was gone

Whatever paperwork was left from her time in the office, has apparently been thrown into cardboard boxes and placed in another office, among other boxes, she adds. Between 25 and 40 ring binders, may include relevant material, she thinks.

The visit was a strange experience, according to Milena Penkowa.

»I met nobody. We went directly into the department, which looked like a ghost town. Everybody was gone,« she says.

Head of department: Office was locked

»I cannot help thinking about everything that has disappeared. What is going to happen to the tissue, that we have received from around 20 patients in a trial with 50 patients. It is very strange, that they report me to the police, and then clear offices and remove evidence,« she says.

Head of department Albert Gjedde rejects all claims that the University of Copenhagen has removed evidence..

»Her offices have been locked in the whole period. Only her former younger staff member has had access and only under supervision by her former laboratory technician«.

miy@adm.ku.dk

Do you have a good story? We would like to hear from you. In the meantime, like us on Facebook for features, guides and tips on upcoming events and follow us on Twitter for links to other Copenhagen academia news stories.