President Zuzana Caputova stated on Thursday that she was shocked to hear the verdict in the case of the murders of journalist Jan Kuciak and Martina Kusnirova and that she "needs to understand the reasoning" behind it. The senate of the Specialised Criminal Court (STS) in Pezinok on the same day acquitted defendants Marian Kocner and Alena Zsuzsova of the charges in the case. "I respect it, but I expect that the search for justice won't end here and that it will continue at the Supreme Court," Caputova reiterated also after her meeting with Prime Minister Igor Matovic and Parliamentary Chairman Boris Kollar on Friday morning. Igor Matovic found it difficult to respect the verdict and reiterated he was disappointed by the verdict of the Specialised Criminal Court. Boris Kollar believes that the Supreme Court will come with a different verdict.
For an in depth analysis of the verdict, listen to our show on Monday with Anca Dragu.
Specialised Criminal Court Chairman Hrubala
Not even a slightest suspicion exists to suggest that the senate of the Specialised Criminal Court in Pezinok that handed down a not guilty verdict to Marian Kocner and Alena Zsuzsova on Thursday made its decision driven by fear or worse ulterior motives, court chairman Jan Hrubala declared on the same day. Hrubala confirmed that the judges responsible for the verdict have his confidence and he is convinced that they made the decision to the best of their knowledge and conscience. Hrubala pointed out that not even the regret that everyone feels over the death of the two young people gives the judges the right to exact vengeance against the suspects, unless there is 100-percent certainty of their guilt. If reasonable doubt persists that cannot be dispelled by other available pieces of evidence, then the defendants must be found not guilty, added Hrubala.
Justice Minister Kolikova
A judge should decide on the basis of the evidence he or she has in the present case and not on the basis of what people want or what appears to be right or fair, Justice Minister Maria Kolikova (For the People) said in response to Thursday's verdict of the Specialised Criminal Court in the case of the murders of journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kusnirova.
In matters that are closely watched and where there is a social order, the public expects a decision. A judge should be impartial and independent, and it is in such matters that it is difficult for a judge to cope with it and decide on the basis of his or her knowledge and expertise, said the minister, adding that the social pressure in the matter of the murder is enormous for the judges in the senate. Justice Minister added that the case would be decided by the Supreme Court, so there is no reason to question the decision at the moment.
Ex-Prime Minister Fico
Chairman of the opposition Smer-SD party and former prime minister Robert Fico who resigned due to the murder of the investigative journalist respects the verdict of the Specialised Criminal Court. Fico really wants us to know who was behind the murder. In his post on a social network, he criticised the media because, according to him, they influenced the process in this case. According to the Smer-SD leader, the murder was "immediately" misused against the government of which he was the chairman at the time. Fico went on to say that the media significantly influenced the course of the process by illegally publishing information from the court file, so they should think about how they contributed to the decision.
Source: TASR
