Csáky testified in Basternák murder case: former Hurbanovo mayor feared for his life
Former MEP Pál Csáky confirmed before the Specialised Criminal Court that László Basternák feared for his life and wore bulletproof vests after the assassination attempt.
Csáky before the court: Basternák was afraid, wore bulletproof vests and had a premonition
Testimony by former MEP and former SMK chair Pál Csáky advanced proceedings on Tuesday at the Specialised Criminal Court (ŠTS) in Banská Bystrica in the premeditated murder case of former Hurbanovo mayor László Basternák. According to pravda.sk, Csáky confirmed that Basternák was concerned about his security, but did not have detailed information about the background of the threats.
Basternák was murdered on 9 July 2010 in the evening outside his home. Roman Ostružlík is charged with ordering the murder, Alena Zsuzsová acts as intermediary, and Vladimír Mosnár is the person alleged to have accepted the contract and arranged for its execution. Gunman Štefan Kaluz is already serving a final sentence of 25 years in prison. All three defendants deny guilt and face sentences of 25 years to life.
"He did not behave as some expected"
Csáky told the ŠTS senate that he did not personally know any of the defendants and obtained information about the murder mainly from the media. He considered Basternák a decent and honest man whom he knew from politics.
"I knew him from politics, several years before it happened. I was national chair of SMK and he was chair in Komárno district. He was afraid for his life, he was under stress, he wore a bulletproof vest after the first assassination attempt on him. I did not ask him for details, I regret that today. At the time he only said that 'he did not behave as some expected'," Csáky testified.
He also confirmed the words of another witness, that Basternák was to give a serious speech at an SMK congress — held shortly after his murder. However, Basternák did not reveal more information about the content of the speech to him, and no names were mentioned.
Pressure and refusal to submit
After the funeral of the former Hurbanovo mayor, according to Csáky's words, people said that "if he had submitted to certain demands," he could have remained alive. Csáky was unequivocal in his statement to the media: "He was an honest man and perhaps a little stubborn. They could have exerted some pressure on him and he refused to submit to it. I strongly condemn such a way of resolving any kind of dispute, whether economically or politically motivated."
Parallel with Kuciak murder
Answering a question from TASR about how he perceived information about those behind his party colleague's murder, Csáky replied with reference to the case of murdered journalist Ján Kuciak: "I have a witness to the fact that when the case of the murder of journalist Ján Kuciak came to light, I told colleagues that it might not end until László Basternák. That background was similar, the perpetrators were from the same region and I had the impression that it could be the same modus operandi. However, I truly do not have detailed information."
Sewerage and pre-election struggle in the background
From the beginning of the trial, disputes about Hurbanovo sewerage and associated companies, as well as political rivalry in the region before the 2010 election, have repeatedly featured in connection with the murder. At that time, candidates from SMK and Most-Híd parties were opposed to each other — Roman Ostružlík, who is now charged with ordering the murder, ran for the latter party.
Source: Google News SK — Crime (sk)