LABOUR Minister Ján Richter, who also serves as the ruling Smer party’s general manager, received his bachelor’s degree from the Law Faculty of Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica – which later allowed him to continue his studies at master’s and doctoral level – under controversial circumstances, the Sme daily wrote on April 30.
Richter’s diploma, signed by the then university rector Milan Murgaš, is dated January 19, 2002; five months before Murgaš declared publicly that the study programme did not have the necessary accreditation to allow students to be granted a bachelor’s degree.
Murgaš, who was previously a Smer official but was expelled from the party in 2009, now says that he does not know how it is possible that students in the course could have received degrees, Sme reported.
Neither of the deans of the university’s law school at the time gave explanations either.
Richter said he believes he acquired his degree lawfully. He then continued his studies in a master’s programme, for which he was accepted by the then-dean, Mojmír Mamojka, also a member of Smer.