The Prosecutor of the Special Prosecutor's Office Vladimír Turan proposed 25-year prison sentences for the defendants in the case of the investigative journalist Ján Kuciak's murder on Thursday, when the court ended the provision of evidence. In his closing speech, Turan referred to the testimonies of convict Zoltán Andruskó, former counter-intelligence director Peter Tóth, communication through the Threema encryption communication application, the tailing of journalists and a motive for the murder.
Lawyer Daniel Lipšic, representing the Kuciak family, expressed his opinion that the conditions for a life sentence have been met. Lawyer Marek Para, representing the entrepreneur Marian Kočner, charged of ordering the murder, said in his closing speech that he would insist on his client's innocence.
The court adjourned the trial until July 31 and August 5.
Investigative journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kušnírová were shot dead in February 2018 and their murder triggered mass protests across the whole of Slovakia resulting in the reconstruction of the government with then Prime Minister Robert Fico, Interior Minister Robert Kaliňák and Head of Police Corps Tibor Gašpar stepping down.
