Assets of controversial businessman frozen

The Special Prosecutor's office froze some of the assets of the controversial Slovak businessman Marian Kočner, wrote the SME daily at the weekend. Kočner, currently in custody, is accused of claiming fake tax returns and also of issuing fake promissory notes. He can appeal against the asset freeze and he also asked to be released from custody last week. The decision on his release from custody has not yet been made. In the past, he was listed on the so-called "Mafia lists" of businessmen issued by the Police in the middle of the 2000s. Moreover, the media accuse him of having links to politicians as well as to representatives of justice system. In September 2017, the investigative journalist Ján Kuciak who was murdered six months later, filed a criminal complaint against him, with Kuciak stating that Kočner had threatened him.