Kuciak murder case: Specialised Criminal Court in Pezinka hears witness testimony
Main proceedings at the Specialised Criminal Court continue with the reading of witness statements. The court partially granted the motion of the accused Dušan K.
Proceedings in Kuciak case: witness testimony and decision on detention conditions
Main proceedings in the case of the murder of journalist Ján Kuciak continued on Wednesday at the Specialised Criminal Court (ŠTS) in Pezinka with the reading of witness statements, according to Google News SK — Crime (sk). From the group of accused, only Dušan K. was present in the courtroom.
Senate chair Miroslav Mazúch announced that the court partially accepted the motion of Dušan K. and rescinded his obligation to report regularly to the probation and mediation officer. Other measures remain in force — replacement of custody with a written undertaking, supervision by a probation officer, and two prohibitions: entry into gaming establishments and participation in gambling.
Mazúch emphasised that the accused is at this stage of proceedings reasonably suspected of the criminal offence being prosecuted and the grounds for preventive detention continue to exist. "There is concern that the accused could continue committing similar criminal activity," said the senate chair. The court also reminded that this is exclusively a procedural measure, not a finding of guilt. Dušan K. waived his right to file a complaint.
Kuciak was murdered in February 2018 in Veľká Mača in Galanta district, and his fiancée Martina Kušnírová also lost her life. Marian K. and Alena Zs. are accused of ordering the murder. The Supreme Court of the Slovak Republic annulled two previous judgements, so the case came before the ŠTS for the third time. The perpetrators of the murder Miroslav Marček and Tomáš Szabó were sentenced to 25 years' deprivation of liberty, intermediary Zoltán Andruskó to 15 years' imprisonment without suspension.
In addition to the Kuciak case, the court is hearing a case concerning the preparation of murders of prosecutors — Maroš Žilinка and Daniel Lipšic, with the order allegedly dating from autumn 2017, and the case of Petr Šufliarski from 2018. Neither plot was carried out. The accused are Marian K., Alena Zs., Dušan K. and Darko D. Tomáš Szabó, who confessed to preparing the murders, has been finally sentenced since 2022.
Source: Google News SK — Crime (sk)