Witness Recognises Man from Identikit Related to Journalist's Murder

Bratislava, September 22 (TASR) – The man portrayed on an indentikit picture released by the authorities earlier this week as possibly “having information” on the murder of investigative journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kusnirova in February has possibly been identified, Novy Cas tabloid reported on its website on Saturday.

Novy Cas was allegedly contacted by a 38-year old man from Velka Maca (Trnava region), where the murder took place, who said that he had probably identified the man on the identikit as his former colleague Miroslav C., 32. He said that he’s already reported the information to the police.

The two men met last month on a construction site in Trnava, where they were working, while they also found out that they both were residents of Velka Maca, which is located some 20 kilometres south-east from the regional capital.

“Miro had been living in a rented house in [Velka] Maca with his wife, child and mother for around 18 months. I was released from prison some two months ago. We worked together for roughly two weeks in August, but he did a bunk from work in late August. He didn’t come to work in September at all and then he left for the Czech Republic,” the witness identified only as Marek told Novy Cas.

Miroslav C., originating from eastern Slovakia, allegedly seemed to be a rather withdrawn person who didn’t talk much to colleagues, but at one occasion he revealed of himself that he used to do fighting in the cage. Moreover, he allegedly even said that he knew in person some figures from the Italian Vadala family, residing in eastern Slovakia, which was linked in Kuciak’s final article to the Italian Mafia.

The police asked Marek to pinpoint Miroslav’s former house in Velka Maca, but he said that he knew the location only approximately. “They showed me the route to the crime scene. They said that there were no security cameras and he could have done it, as he had been living in the village for some time and he had known the location of cameras,” said the witness.

“There were rumours in the village that after the murder – it happened at some time in February – he began gambling on machines on a grand scale, even though he had no job and no income. I don’t know whether it’s him, it might only be a speculation,” added the witness.

The Special Prosecutor’s Office declined to provide any comments on a possible progress in investigation of the double murder.

Earlier this week, the Special Prosecutor’s Office reported that the investigative journalist and his fiancée were obviously shot and killed at their home in Velka Maca by a contracted hitman.

Kuciak in his final article, released as unfinished after his murder, outlined alleged links of figures supposedly belonging to the Italian Mafia in Slovakia to some high-ranking officials at the Slovak Government Office.

The double murder in late February provoked mass protests across the country, eventually leading to the resignations of prime minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD), several other Cabinet ministers and state officials.