Fico: Kuciak Murder Investigation Has Ruled Out Italian Mafia Theory

Fico: Kuciak Murder Investigation Has Ruled Out Italian Mafia Theory

Bratislava, October 2 (TASR) – The results of the investigation into the murders of journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancee Martina Kusnirova have dispelled the claim that the Italian Mafia, with connections to the Slovak Government Office, was behind the crime, claimed Smer-SD chair Robert Fico on Tuesday.

Fico tendered his resignation as prime minister earlier in the year over suspicions that his close associates were affiliated with Italian mobsters.

“This fabricated accusation was purposefully misused in an attempt to revise the division of power in Slovakia and take down the government outside the scope of standard democratic rules. And people in the streets were taken advantage of for the sake of this attempt,” said Fico, who didn’t answer when asked how he knows that the Italian link has been ruled out by the investigation.

Smer-SD praised the work of the police and Prosecutor’s Office and will wait for the definitive conclusion of the investigation. “We’re confident that the professionalism displayed by the law enforcement bodies will lead to a just punishment for the perpetrators, including those who ordered the murders,” added Fico.

Fico stated that his party doesn’t expect any apology from the Opposition, President Andrej Kiska, media or NGOs, which, according to Fico, are financed from abroad. He believes that once the investigation is concluded, Slovakia will need to re-evaluate what took place in the wake of the murders, and the public should decide who should wield power in a free and fair election in 2020.