PM "not surprised" by rector's fake credentials

PM "not surprised" by rector's fake credentials

BELGRADE -- Prime Minister Aleksandar Vučić on Friday reacted to revelations that Megatred University Rector Mića Jovanović falsely claimed to have earned a doctoral title.

The daily Blic is reporting that Vučić said he was "not surprised" by the findings of the Ministry of Education.

However, Vučić added that he "did not wish to claim this was true until he saw the evidence."

He also noted that he "saw no connection between that and the doctorate of Nebojša Stefanović" - which the country's interior minister and high ranking member of Vučić's SNS party earned at the private Belgrade-based university.

"I am not surprised, but let's not now push everything towards examining all diplomas from Megatrend," Vučić was quoted as saying during a news conference held at the government HQ.

He also remarked that he "did not think it was realistic" for Jovanović to continue as Megatrend's rector if the claims against him were to be proven.

"As far as I know, the diploma of Minister Stefanović is already being investigated, after all," said Vučić.

The prime minister's first deputy, Ivica Dačić, said he was "surprised" by the case. Dačić, who is the leader of the Socialists (SPS), at the same time asked "what he had to do with that" - considering that Jovanović was "not a member of the leadership of the SPS."

Jovanović's deputy at Megatrend University, Vladan Kutlešić, was also surprised by the findings when he spoke for the Beta news agency late on Thursday, and said:

"I cannot believe it, it's all incredible to all of us."

Kutlešić said that he had not spoken with Jovanović...