Three charged with killing of Slovak journalist
BRATISLAVA: Police in Slovakia Friday charged three people with the “premeditated” killing of journalist Jan Kuciak, who had been investigating allegations of high-level corruption involving politicians, the public prosecutor’s office said.
“In the case of the murder of investigative journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancee Martina Kusnirova, three people have been charged today with premeditated murder and other crimes,” spokeswoman Andrea Predajnova told AFP.
Kuciak had been investigating alleged links between Italian organised crime and Slovak politicians when he and Kusnirova were murdered at their home last February.
The killing raised concerns about media freedom and corruption in the EU member state of 5.4 million people and sparked protests which culminated in the resignation of Prime Minister Robert Fico in March.
Eight suspects were provisionally detained on Thursday.
“After questioning, five people were released and three others were accused of the particularly serious crime of murder, and other crimes,” Predajnova said.
The next step, she said, will be for investigators to seek arrest warrants from the prosecutor.
Fico’s successor and close ally Peter Pellegrini wrote on Facebook Thursday he was pleased to hear of progress in “the murder of two innocent young people.”
Prague-based Respekt weekly, quoting a security source, had reported that photos from a US satellite flying over the crime scene at the time of the murder had helped Slovak police piece together the movement of cars and people.