Special Prosecution Office

The latest information to the state of investigation of the premeditated murder of Ján Kuciak and his partner Martina Kušnírová - September 2018　

     In the order to get an idea of what we have done during this time, I will start with the overview of already executed acts: In the course of the previous investigation there were carried out five crime scene inspections, inspections of bodies of victims, inspection of potential locations of the perpetrator´s appearance. We executed forty acts aimed on object´s extradition, four house searches and six searches of other premises, eighteen body inspections including fingerprints, the DNA, odor traces, and others. A total of seven suspects were arrested but who, after executing of acts and due to the absence of other evidences, were released from detention. Until today investigators have interrogated more than two-hundred people in the procedural status of witness, some of them repeatedly, and executed three interrogations of aggrieved parties – relatives of murdered couple. Further there were two attempts of investigation provided to verify the continuance of partial actions at and around the crime scene. The investigator provided more than forty expertise reports from various sectors. 　

     On the basis of the initiative of the investigator and prosecutor´s suggestions, courts issued fifty-seven injunctions for the use of information and technical means and the execution of other acts, one-hundred-twenty-seven injunctions for providing data of performed telecommunication operations. This way several tens of thousands of records of telecommunication operations have been obtained which have been and are subjects of detailed analyses.　

     Regarding the international legal cooperation an agreement was signed in Hague on 18 April 2018 to set up the Joint Investigation Team with the Italian Republic. On the basis of this agreement the information was exchanged and further procedural acts were performed as required by both parties.　

     The prosecutor also processed several requests for legal assistances or issued European Investigation Orders. These requests and orders were addressed to ten countries of the world, and, in the meantime, have been largely executed. Except procedural acts were and are executed operative reviews, information verification, analyses and others. From the beginning the investigation was conducted in two related levels. The first one was aimed at identifying the murder himself and persons who assisted him in committing the murder. The second level was focused on finding the motive and assumed order party of the murder.　

     Established circumstances justify the conclusion that the murder of Ján Kuciak and Martina Kušnírová was premeditated murder, made by the professional assassin and per order. The murder was committed on 21st February 2018 at about 8:20 p.m., whereby the killing was committed by one perpetrator. The investigators are focused currently to find out whether other person(s) has been assisting and supporting with murder.　

     At the beginning of the investigation nearly thirty investigation´s versions were made focusing on possible motives of committing this murder. The subject of the investigation was - on the side of Ján Kuciak his journalistic work as well as possible reasons on the side of Martina Kušnírová. Previous investigations have undoubtedly shown that the reason for the murder was the journalistic work of Ján Kuciak. At present the investigation focuses on two main areas of his work. From the obvious reasons we will not specify these in detail because publishing any detailed information only helps the perpetrators to focus on the matter in order to avoid detection and punishment.　

     The Special Prosecutor Office highly appreciates the ongoing interest of society in the investigation of this brutal offense and sensitively perceives requirements of this interest. In this regard we also registered, except others, the requirement for wider involvement of international investigative institutions to the investigation of the murder of Ján Kuciak and his partner. Since the first day of the investigation a close cooperation has been established with Europol, which has been provided with all available evidences and knowledges. This cooperation continues to date.　

     Since beginning, the close cooperation with Europol was established and it succeeded in obtaining some important information that would otherwise have remained inaccessible and these brought the progress in the investigation. The Europol was provided with all the evidence we have received so far. Similarly, a close cooperation with the FBI was established as well.　

      Previous investigations have also revealed that an unidentified person might have moved around the crime scene and at the time of the crime. This person may have information about the crime itself or those who might be involved in committing the crime. In this regard, even today, we will make available the composite drawing of this person and at the same time we would like this person to turn himself in directly to the Special Prosecution Office of the General Prosecutor´s Office of the Slovak Republic in Pezinok or to the National Crime Agency of the Presidium of the Police Force, the National Counter-Crime Unit.

composite drawing ( jpg, 80 KiB)

Further progress and particular results of the investigation will be presented to the public as soon as the procedural situation allowsand it will be provided in the extent that will not prejudice further state of the pre-trial proceedings and proceedings before the court.