Witness Peter Tóth is expected to testify at the main hearing in the case concerning the alleged ordering of the murder of journalist Ján Kuciak and the preparation of the murders of prosecutors. Tóth organized the surveillance of several journalists on behalf of businessman Marian Kočner, including Kuciak. At the end of May, key witness Zoltán Andruskó, who is serving a 15-year prison sentence for arranging the journalist’s murder, testified before the court.
According to Andruskó, the main person behind the contract killing of the investigative journalist was Marian Kočner. Following Andruskó’s three-day testimony, the presiding judge of the Specialized Criminal Court, Miroslav Mazúch, adjourned the hearing and announced that proceedings would continue in July. For today’s session, he summoned former journalist and former member of the Slovak Information Service (SIS), Peter Tóth.
According to Roman Kvasnica, legal representative of Zlatica Kušnírová, the mother of the murdered Kuciak’s fiancé Martina Kušnírová, Tóth is a highly significant witness:
"Peter Tóth refused to testify in the past, and his pre-trial statements from 2020 were read into the record. That refusal occurred, I believe, in 2022 or 2023—I don't remember exactly. We'll see what he decides to say now."Kočner’s defense attorney, Marek Para, said it is difficult to predict what can be expected from Tóth’s testimony:
"I don’t think so, but even if he decides to testify, I doubt he would present anything new."
Six years ago, Peter Tóth testified that he believed Marian Kočner and Alena Zsuzsová were behind the murder of Ján Kuciak. He described their communications to the court and stated that he was convinced the surveillance of journalists and the online program Na pranieri were merely part of a cover story.
Source: STVR
