The trial over the murder of journalist Ján Kuciak and his girlfriend Martina Kušnirová continued on Tuesday, when chats between businessman Marian Kočner, accused of ordering the murder, and Alena Zsuzsová accused of commissioning it, were read out in court. The victims' lawyers think that these communications prove that the two defendants were the masterminds behind the murder. The prosecutor and lawyers want to read out messages exchanged shortly before and after the couple's murder.
On 21st February 2018, Slovak investigative journalist Ján Kuciak was assassinated along with his fiancée Martina Kušnirová in their house in Velka Mača, southwestern Slovakia. According to the indictment, Kočner ordered Kuciak's murder, annoyed by his reporting on his shady business deals. Kočner's personal friend Alena Zsuzsová commissioned the murder crew, made up of cousins Tomas Szabo and Miroslav Marček, a former policeman and professional soldier respectively. She did so through Zoltan Andrusko, who has cooperated with investigators, entering a plea bargain, and was sentenced to 15 years in prison at the end of last year. Last month the Specialised Criminal Court in Pezinok sentenced Miroslav Marček to 23 years in prison for the murders of journalist Ján Kuciak, his fiancée Martina Kušnírová, and businessman Peter Molnár in a separate case.
The trial has been adjourned until June 1st.
