Kangler graduated from the Maribor business school Doba in April 2008 with a thesis entitled "The Mayor's Role in the Process of Devising, Passing and implementing the Municipal Budget".

A computer analysis of the thesis showed a 70% match with sources available online. The mayor copied entire passages of articles from the Lex localis journal without naming the source, according to Friday's report.

Dnevnik says the body of the thesis contains virtually no paragraphs that were not directly copied from Lex localis articles, complete with footnotes.

The Doba business school responded by saying that no irregularities were found in the thesis in 2008 but that if these are discovered after graduation, procedures will be launched in line with the private school's regulations.

Kangler on the other hand commented that his thesis was specific in that it referred to many laws and sublaws, which is however appropriately marked. "Quotes of specific authors are also appropriately marked in the thesis," he added.

The outgoing mayor this year enrolled at the Economic and Business Faculty of the Maribor University. But if his college dissertation is revoked, he will be forced to drop out.