Plagiarism claim "stupidest explanation" - PM

Plagiarism claim "stupidest explanation" - PM

BELGRADE -- Aleksandar Vučić says the argument given by three scientists that Nebojša Stefanović plagiarized his doctorate was "the stupidest explanation he ever heard."

"I am very interested in the issue of the alleged plagiarism. I completed the state Law School with honors, and I thought I knew something in that area, but I've never heard a more stupid explanation," the prime minister said on Tuesday, adding that Education Minister Srđan Verbić "agreed" with this assessment.

"I think the professional community should assess whether it is plagiarism or not," Vučić told reporters in Belgrade. He added that "no one knows on what basis the three scientists concluded that Stefanović plagiarized his work."

The prime minister said this "attack, if someone was going to attack Stefanović, could have been a lot smarter" - but, he added, it seems that today it is popular to attack in this way.

When asked whether Stefanović, who serves as interior minister, would resign if the claims about his doctoral dissertation were found to be true, Vučić said, "In that case Nebojša will certainly know what to do."

According Vučić, the state's obligation is to provide the conditions for the work of NGOs and the civil society, and that this would also apply to the commissioner for information, Rodoljub Šabić, and Ombudsman Saša Janković, and the Anti-Corruption Agency, "although there have been no complaints from there so far."

The website Pešacnik on Sunday published an article penned by Uglješa Grušić (Assistant Professor, University of Nottingham), Branislav Radeljić (Associate Professor, University of East London) and Slobodan Tomić...