Slovak businessman in Kuciak trial also charged with planning prosecutors murders

Slovak businessman Marian Kočner, already sentenced to 19 years in jail for forgery, is facing retrial in the murder case of journalist Ján Kuciak, charged with planning the murders of three high profile prosecutors, Denník N reported.

Among the alleged planned targets was Daniel Lipšic, then-lawyer and now special prosecutor, who battled Kočner in various court cases.

Kočner also stands accused of ordering the murder of Maroš Žilinka, who now serves as a general prosecutor and who at the time accused the businessman of VAT fraud. Kočner is also alleged to have wanted prosecutor Peter Šufliarsky murdered and replaced by a prosecutor he had damaging information on, as detailed in private communication uncovered by prosecutors.

The plans were derailed when a middle man failed to hire a hitman and the group was eventually arrested for the murder of Kuciak. It was unclear for several months whether the prosecution would gather enough evidence to implicate Kočner, the alleged instigator, alongside the executors.

The charges came after a retrial was ordered for the Kuciak murder, for which Kočner was previously found not guilty. The exculpatory verdict was dubbed “contrary to elementary logic” by the court of appeals and returned to the original senate for reevaluation.

(Barbara Zmušková | EURACTIV.sk)