University to seek withdrawal of deputy's academic title

Plzen, West Bohemia, Nov 5 (CTK) - Josef Prusa, rector of the scandal-ridden West Bohemian University (ZCU) based in Plzen, and ZCU's Law Faculty dean Jiri Pospisil agreed Thursday to initiate the withdrawal of academic title from deputy Marek Benda (Civic Democrats, ODS).

Both Prusa and Pospisil confirmed the agreement to CTK Thursday.

It surfaced recently that a number of people, including politicians, policemen and state officials, completed their studies at the Law Faculty in an unusually short period and without proper examinations. The faculty management is suspected of facilitating studies for them in order to bring them under obligation.

In reaction to the scandal, ODS chairman Mirek Topolanek criticised the suspicious granting of academic titles to ODS politicians.

Most recently, the media focused on the studies of Benda and controversial regional politician Ivana Rapkova (ODS) who both graduated from the Law Faculty at the West Bohemian University in Plzen in 2008.

Benda has admitted that the dissertation he presented for acquiring the academic title did not meet the required standards and he asked the faculty to give him a chance to revise it.

The Social Democrats (CSSD) called on Benda to resign from the post of lower house constitutional and legal committee chairman over his dubious law "studies", but he refused to do so.

Today, Benda said that he respected the decision to withdraw the academic title from him.

"It is not certain that the title will be withdrawn from him, but we will propose it. Benda would then be able to ask for the new exam and submit a new dissertation," Prusa said.

"I myself asked for it on Monday and I absolutely respect the step," Benda said.

Benda became a deputy to the Czech parliament in 1990. After a two-year break in 2002-2004 he was again elected to the parliament. Since 1992 he has been a member of the constitutional and legal committee and in 2006 he became its chairman.

Former justice minister Pospisil who was appointed new dean of the Plzen's Law Faculty on November 3 had introduced standard and binding study rules and launched preparations of a new student enrolling procedure and checks of dissertations and theses of those graduating from the faculty in the past years.

A number of students completed their studies of law, which usually take five years, in a suspiciously short time at the West Bohemian University.

A Czech accreditation commission concluded that these "miraculous" students were mainly high-ranking officials, policemen and politicians, who may now feel committed to those at the university who enabled their extremely quick completion of studies.

The commission's head Vladimira Dvorakova said earlier extensive corruption at the faculty led to a situation where a network of influential people threatened national security.

After suspicious cases were revealed at Plzen's law faculty, the Education Ministry ordered checks at other universities, too.