ACCUSED

Slovak Businessman Charged Over Double Murder of Journalist and His Wife

Protests over Ján Kuciak’s murder last February led to the PM’s resignation.

A Slovakian businessman has been charged with ordering the murder of journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée last year. Kuciak and Martina Kusnirova, who were both aged 27, were shot dead in February 2018. Kuciak was an investigative journalist who wrote about corrupt Slovak businessmen, fraud, and the Italian mafia’s links to Slovak politicians. Protests sparked by the murders last year ultimately led to the resignation of Prime Minister Robert Fico. Slovak police confirmed the charge on Facebook without naming the suspect, but local media named him as Marian Kočner, according to a tweet from the investigative journalism group The Organized Crime & Corruption Reporting Project. Four others have already been charged. In his final story, Kuciak reported the Italian organized-crime ring ‘Ndrangheta had settled in Slovakia.

TARGETED

Slovakian Journalist Investigating Gov. Tax Fraud Shot Dead