The political connections of businessman Marián Kočner, who is charged with ordering the murder of journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancee on top of those of falsifying promissory notes and tax fraud, seem deep. First the daily Dennik N published excerpts from the decrypted messages he exchanged with Alena Zsuzsová, also charged in the journalist's murder case. He told her how he met with Robert Fico, the leader of the largest governing coalition party Smer who stepped down last spring. He also allegedly discussed a new political party with the then Interior Minister Robert Kaliňák (Smer-SD). Then on Thursday, the aktuality.sk website where Ján Kuciak worked reported that according to Kočner' s chats he met Béla Bugár, the leader of Most-Hid, a junior coalition party, in the Maldives shortly after the murder of the journalist multiple times. He bragged to Alena Zsuzsová about having breakfast with Bugár: "I'll tell him how and what I would do in his place. I think he will be highly receptive". Kočner is said to have been involved in maintaining Fico's government, because, as he told Zsuzsová, if the opposition enters the government, "it will not even help us move to the North Pole." Most-Hid eventually remained in coalition after Fico resigned as Prime Minister.
At a press conference on Thursday, Bugár repeated that he has nothing in common with Marian Kočner whom he regards as a bad person and met him only once by chance while on holiday. According to him, what Kočner wrote in those messages is not true as they only greeted each other and exchanged a few short sentences and did not discuss the future of the governing coalition.
Former Prime Minister Robert Fico has denied any meeting with Marián Kočner as alleged in those messages exchanged with Alena Zsuzsová whose veridicity he questions.
Andrej Danko, the head of the third party of the governing coalition, said he would not comment on who wrote to whom. "The authenticity of these messages must be assessed first, and I do not think this is a matter for politicians. I rely on the law enforcement authorities to do so," Danko said. Later on the Thursday Danko denied he exchanged messages with Alena Zsuzsová in reaction to a report that one of the four people involved in Kuciak's murder would have said so to investigators.
Almost all the opposition parties reacted critically to the messages. "Béla Bugár and Robert Fico should clearly explain within 24 hours why they and Kočner met after the journalist's murder or resign from their post," said the head of Spolu party Miroslav Beblavý. According to Igor Matovič of the Olano movement, the Most-Hid leader Béla Bugár "has definitively lost any moral right to remain in politics".
