The documents, obtained by the Ottawa Citizen using access-to-information requests, showed the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council was able to recover $21,485.67 from a university scientist whose name and employer weren't allowed to be published, the newspaper said Monday.

Among the items purchased beginning in early 2003 through May 2005 were chrome exhaust pipes and aluminum wheels for the man's car, large plasma televisions and a home entertainment system worth $17,624.63, the documents showed.

The university's investigation documents seen by the newspaper said the scientist had "spent research funds for personal benefit, had altered supporting receipts in an attempt to conceal the nature of the purchases (and) had equipment delivered to his home."

The council has a budget of $1 billion a year to fund thousands of researchers across Canada, the newspaper said.