The surveillance of journalists, allegedly ordered by controversial businessman Marián Kočner, was much more extensive than previously thought, according to the daily SME whose investigative reporter Adam Valček is among those surveilled. There were at least six men involved - including former members of the intelligence service - with apparent help from within the Slovak police. They documented the movements of journalists from March 2017 to February 2018, when the murder of investigative journalist Ján Kuciak was carried out, and appeared to have continued doing so for some time afterwards. Even such details as what time the parents and children left the house and returned during the day, and what kind of car they were driving, were monitored and recorded. Last month, former journalist and ex-Slovak counterintelligence service head Peter Tóth admitted that he had mediated the surveillance of journalists in the past, including Kuciak, at the request of businessman Marian Kočner, but said he did not perform the task himself. Kočner has been charged with ordering the murder of Kuciak, who had reported extensively on his shady business deals.
Journalist Zuzana Petková, who was among those invited by the police to review evidence of her surveillance done at the time when she was working for the weekly Trend, says she did not notice anything strange at the time. "By recording the daily routine of journalists, and ultimately one of them lost their lives, I wonder whether they simply were not try to determine who would be the easiest victim," she said to the SME daily. Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini (Smer) stated, in response to the revelations: "All state bodies concerned must do everything they can to prevent something similar from happening again in future." President Andrej Kiska said that he expects the prime minister to take resolute steps and publish specific measures, so that all people in this country can feel safer. President-elect Zuzana Čaputová characterised the alleged surveillance as 'horrifying', saying that "journalists . . . must be protected and supported by the public, especially when they look into scandals in which powerful people are involved."
The investigation continues.
