Trial of Jan Kuciak murder continues in Pezinok: Reading of documents, defendants absent
The Specialised Criminal Court in Pezinok is continuing proceedings in the case of the murder of journalist Jan Kuciak through reading of documents. None of the four defendants attended the hearing on Tuesday.
Trial in Pezinok: documents, Kuciak's articles and absent defendants
The Specialised Criminal Court (ŠTS) in Pezinok continued on Tuesday with the main hearing in the case of the murder of journalist Jan Kuciak as well as in the case of preparation of murders of prosecutors. According to Nový Čas, documents were read throughout the entire day — none of the four defendants were present in the courtroom.
The chairman of the ŠTS panel Miroslav Mazúch stated that defendant Dušan K. submitted a motion to lift the restrictions imposed by the court — specifically the obligation to report any change of residence and a ban on entering gambling establishments. Mazúch also recalled that in 2023 Dušan K. was charged with manipulation in public procurement and public auction, and in 2024 with founding, organising and supporting a criminal group, as well as with tax and insurance evasion.
The hearing involved reading of an order from the then prosecutor of the Office of Special Prosecution Maroš Žilinka from 8 March 2017 connected with the Technopol Servis case. The court also read articles by the murdered journalist Kuciak.
Murder from February 2018 — third time before court
Kuciak was murdered in February 2018 in Veľká Mača in Galanta district; his fiancée Martina Kušnírová also died in the attack. Marian K. and Alena Zs. are charged with ordering the murder. The Supreme Court of the SR quashed the previous two verdicts, meaning the case is appearing before the ŠTS for the third time.
The direct perpetrators of the murder Miroslav Marček and Tomáš Szabó were sentenced to 25 years unconditionally, and the intermediary Zoltán Andruskó to 15 years unconditionally.
Preparation of murders of prosecutors
In the case of the planned murders of prosecutors, in addition to Marian K. and Alena Zs., Dušan K. and Darko D. are also standing trial. According to the indictment, the order for the murders of Maroš Žilinka and Daniel Lipšic was to be placed in autumn 2017, and in the case of Peter Šufliarsky in 2018. They were not carried out. Tomáš Szabó, who confessed to the preparation of the murders, has been finally convicted since 2022.
Source: Nový Čas