On Sunday, investigative journalist Ján Kuciak and his girlfriend Martina Kušnírová were found shot dead in his house in the village of Veľká Mača, Nitra region. Kuciak, 27, who worked for Aktuality.sk specialized in tax frauds and alleged political corruption. As Tibor Gašpar, president of the Police corps said, on Sunday at 21.35, the mother of Kuciak's girlfriend contacted the police saying that she could get in touch with her. At 22.30, the police discovered the dead bodies.
"During the inspection, two dead bodies were found and according to the first findings they were both shot. The Police will use all its means to clarify the cases. Slovakia has never faced such an unprecedented attack on a journalist," said Gašpar. He also added that the time of the death was estimated between Thursday February 22nd and Sunday February 25th. Kuciak was shot in the chest; his girlfriend was shot in the head. According to Gašpar, the motive behind their deaths was probably Kuciar's investigative work.
In the past, Kuciak had faced threats from businessman Marián Kočner, subject of his reports. Peter Bardy, chief editor of Aktuality.sk, had written about the threats. "What threats do you mean? From that statement, I rather have the feeling that he wants to join your daily. This is what you do. Look for dirt," the Interior Minister Robert Kaliňák then commented on the case, as cited by the Denník N daily.
"I am unhappy and shattered by the murder of Ján Kuciak and his fiancée," said Kaliňák after the tragedy. "If it turns out that Kuciak's work as a journalist was related to his death, it would be an unprecedented attack on the freedom of press and democracy in Slovakia," said Prime Minister Robert Fico in his reaction. "In a democratic society, it is unacceptable to see journalists, their relatives and friends being executed for their work. RTVS strongly condemns this act and considers it an attack on free journalism," reads the official statement of the public broadcaster RTVS.
