Former Economy Minister and ex-director of private TV Markíza, Pavol Rusko, insists on his innocence in the case of the murder of his business partner Silvia Volzová in 1997. He stated this at a hearing in the Bratislava II District Court on Friday. The trial has been adjourned to 20th September.
Former Banska Bystrica crime boss Mikuláš Černák, who is currently serving a life sentence, pleaded guilty in Bratislava II District Court to planning the murder of Silvia Volzová, but the court senate decided not to accept his plea after a brief consultation.
According to information in the media, the police began to deal with the case based on Černák's testimony. He claimed that the ex-minister had ordered Volzová's murder in the Slovak underworld in the autumn of 1997 in exchange for 20-40 million Slovak crowns (approximately €670,000-1.33 million). This was confirmed by his former accomplice Miloš Kaštan. They weren't able to carry out the murder because Mikuláš Černák was arrested for another crime. Pavol Rusko has claimed that the testimony was fabricated.
This is the first case in Slovakia's history in which a former member of the Government has been charged with planning a murder. Slovak courts have dealt with cases involving several former ministers, but none with such a serious criminal charge. Meanwhile, Pavol Rusko is also facing charges of fraud concerning multi-million-euro promissory notes held by arrested businessman Marian Kočner, who has also been charged with ordering the murder of journalist Ján Kuciak.
