The National Crime Agency on Wednesday arrested businessman Marian Kočner concerning crimes involving counterfeited promissory notes as well as various tax-related crimes, the Denník N daily reported on the same day. The businessman was detained on the basis of an order issued by the Special Prosecutor's Office.
On Thursday, the police pressed charges against the prominent businessman as well as former private TV Markíza director and later economy minister Pavol Rusko for forgery and attempts to thwart the execution of justice over promissory notes worth a total of €70 million. "The two persons were arrested, and a motion aimed at remanding them in custody has been processed," said Police Corps spokesman Martin Waldl.
The promissory notes in question were allegedly signed by Pavol Rusko back when he served as Markíza's statutory representative. Meanwhile, the television company is fiercely contesting the documents and the veracity of both Marian Kočner's and Pavol Rusko's testimonies, claiming that the promissory notes were in fact signed after the latter left Markíza. Pavol Rusko came to the Police Corps presidium to provide a testimony on Thursday morning. He was allowed to leave after the hearing, but was arrested later.
Markíza claims that the promissory notes appeared out of the blue 16 years after they were allegedly created, while they were not featured previously in the accounts of either the television company or Marian Kočner's firms. Moreover, Pavol Rusko provided a written statement in 2000 that Markíza had no liabilities vis-a-vis Marian Kočner.
A court in April decided that both Pavol Rusko and the TV company itself were obliged to pay a promissory note worth €8.3 million to Marian Kočner's company Sprava a Inkaso Zmeniek. Markíza said at the time that it would appeal against the verdict.
