Prominent suspects released from custody

Businessman Marian Kočner and former TV Markíza director and later Economy Minister Pavol Rusko will be prosecuted while not in custody, a judge from the Specialised Criminal Court (STS) in Banská Bystrica decided on Saturday. Charges have been pressed against them for forging promissory notes worth €70 million vis-a-vis the private TV channel Markíza. "The court did not accept the reasons for keeping them in custody and released them. The Supreme Court will decide in this case on June 28," said Rusko's lawyer, Marek Para. According to Opposition MP for Freedom and Solidarity Party Jozef Rajtár this decision leaves space for Kočner to influence witnesses. Numerous journalists complained about Kočner's threats towards them, including murdered Ján Kuciak, who lost his life in February 2018, less than six months after receiving threats from Kočner.