Degrees for cash scandal drags on

A legal technicality has rendered the Law Faculty of the Plzeň-based West Bohemian University (ZČU) helpless in its effort to strip bachelor degrees from up to 200 graduates who allegedly obtained them via fraudulent means.

Nearly one year after the money-for-degree scandal broke, no graduate has been stripped of a degree.

In August, a university committee determined that laws were unclear on the proper procedure for taking away degrees.

"It is impossible to prove a lack of good faith on your part while gaining your academic title," a letter from school administrators to the 200 degree recipients said.

"The law on universities does not explicitly allow it to take away college degrees," said Václav Koukolíček, spokesman for the Education Ministry. "It is assumed, however, that a university diploma is an official document, which in accordance with the university regulations was issued by the university, and if the public documents are found to be issued in breach of the law, the authority that issued it is obliged to cancel it."

However, Koukolíček added, "Lawyers disagree on whether this interpretation is correct."

Allegations of the fraudulent degrees surfaced in October 2009, when records surfaced that certain students were able to obtain degrees in record time and others did so while attending class only on rare occasions. Vice Dean Ivan Tomažič and former dean of the faculty Jaroslav Zachariáš were forced out by the Justice Ministry after the scandal broke and they were unable to explain the discrepancies.

The Education Ministry filed a criminal complaint against the Law Faculty and the anti-corruption police opened an investigation.

The scandal sparked an investigation of all university graduates who received their degrees since 2000.

"The Plzeň affair indirectly endangers the credibility of the whole sector of tertiary education," then Education Minister Miroslava Kopicová said when the scandal broke.

Though the daily Právo reported Sept. 7 that police are poised to drop their investigation, Koukolíček insisted that "the investigation by the police and prosecution has not been completed yet and, so far, no one was charged."

While Koukolíček put blame on the former leaders at the university, he also accused lawyers and judicial officials of dragging their feet.

"These authorities should be questioned about why they haven't reached any conclusions almost a year after the case broke," Koukolíček said.

Despite substantial accusations against the school, 200 of the graduates who were under suspicion for fraud will now be allowed to keep their degrees, at least for now.

"The titles will retain their full value, but the credibility of people whom are strongly suspected of not obtaining their titles in a legal manner might be shattered," Koukolíček said.

And the dispute is likely to drag on further.

"The case is far from being over," insists ZČU Rector Josef Průša. "This is an issue the court has to deal with."

Education Minister Josef Dobeš announced Sept. 7 that audits will become common practice for all students pursuing doctoral degrees at the Law Faculty.

Caroline Korsawe can be reached at
features@praguepost.com