Swansea University has terminated its involvement in a proposed £600m private university and medical school joint venture project in Kuwait.
The controversial scheme, whose architect is the university's suspended dean of its School of Management, Professor Marc Clement, was never brought to its governing body, in its council, for scrutiny or approval.
It has also been confirmed that the company that at one stage was the exclusive development partner for the £200m Life Sciences and Wellness Village project in Llanelli, Kent Neurosciences, was involved in the Kuwaiti project, as well as what effectively become its successor company in Sterling Health Securities.
Sterling Health Securities were ditched as the Wellness Village's development partner by Carmarthenshire Council last year.
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The role of both Kent Neurosciences and Sterling in the Kuwait project formed part of the rationale of the trustees of the council in its decision to terminate the university's involvement.
The proposed project, through a joint venture company called Kuwait Innovative Group (KIG), as revealed in a leaked market and financial feasibility study undertaken by professional advisory firm KPMG, identified Prof Clement as vice chancellor of the scheme's private university.
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The project, known as Shafaa, aimed to eventually attract 5,000 students a year, with Swansea University validating degrees. Companies Mace and Vamed were also part of the joint venture.
In a statement Swansea University said: "The trustees of Swansea University Council have decided that the university cannot continue with a project to build a medical school and university in Kuwait, known as Project Shifaa.
"Project Shifaa has never previously been presented to the University Council for approval by the trustees. The trustees have concluded that it is impossible or impracticable for the project to be fulfilled.
"The reasons for this include the previous involvement of Kent Neurosciences, and its successor company, Sterling Health, and the logistical difficulties in delivering the project."
The university's vice chancellor Richard B Davies was suspended for alleged gross negligence and Prof Clement, for alleged gross misconduct, last November.
They both vehemently deny any wrongdoing.
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The ongoing investigation at Swansea University is linked to the Wellness Village project, for which Carmarthenshire was seeking £40m in backing from the City Deal for the Swansea Bay city region, and for which a new business and funding model is now being explored.
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Suspended Prof Davies was also identified as being a trustee of the proposed private university's board in Kuwait, along with chief executive of Carmarthenshire Council Mark James.
The university's lead for regional development, health and wellbeing Paul Roberts, who was suspended last month was also named as one of a number of "professionals from Swansea University" in KIG's management team.
The others from Swansea University named in the KMPG document are Steve Poole, Simon McWhirter, Daniel Rees and Roderick Thomas.
Swansea University had no knowledge of plans for a private medical school at its Bay campus
Mr Roberts vehemently denies any wrongdoing.
Swansea University put its involvement in the Kuwaiti project on hold following the suspensions last November.
Prof Clement is a former director of Kent Neurosciences, but resigned in August 2015, before the company entered into a 10-month exclusivity deal with Carmarthenshire Council to be the Wellbeing Village's development partner back 2016.
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Kent Neurosciences was dissolved last year.
Then in a EU procurement tender exercise, for which there was only one bidder, the contract was awarded to a newly-created company in Sterling Health.
Directors of Sterling Health include Franz Dickmann who is a former director of now dissolved Kent Neurosciences.
