The diploma conferring the bachelor’s title on current Labour Minister Ján Richter was not signed by then-dean Pavel Kandráč of the Faculty of Law of the University of Matej Bel (UMB) in Banská Bystrica, the Sme daily reported on May 7.
The diploma dated January 19, 2002 features two signatures: one belonging to the then-rector Milan Murgaš while there is an unreadable signature at the place for the dean of the school, Sme wrote. The current rector of the UMB, Beata Kosová, said she believes the signature can belong to deceased teacher Zoltán Valentovič who was acting as dean of the law faculty when Kandráč left. The daily wrote that she could not say whether he was authorised to sign the diploma.
Sme also wrote that it is still not known when the diploma was issued. Though the document has the date January 19, 2002, Murgaš said that it was not possible since the specialisation that Richter and his 38 classmates were studying did not have accreditation at that time. The university had shredded the diplomas of all people studying the specialisation called International Law and Relations but later issued new ones, Sme reported.
The university’s archive does not include any documentation explaining why it happened.
“There is only a record about their fixing,” Kosová told Sme.
Source: Sme
For more information about this story please see: Doubt cast on labour minister’s academic title
Compiled by Radka Minarechová from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
