Bratislava, Feb 28 (CTK) – The Aktuality.sk portal released on Wednesday an unfinished article by murdered Slovak journalist Jan Kuciak, describing the activities of the Italian underground in Slovakia and people close to the Italian mafia ‘Ndrangheta in the surroundings of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.
The 27-year-old journalist, who worked for Aktuality.sk, and his fiancee were shot dead in his home. His investigative work was the most probable motive of the murder, the police say.
In the long, but unfinished article, Kuciak focuses on the activities of several Italian clans linked to ‘Ndrangheta in Slovakia that are running business primarily in agriculture, but also in biogas.
Kuciak also writes that these clans are drawing millions of euros in subsidies through various frauds and machinations.
He also mapped the business links of Maria Troskova, Fico’s current assistant, and Viliam Jasan, former MP of Fico’s Smer-Social Democracy and current secretary of the Government Security Council, to businessman of Italian origin Antonino Vadala. He is directly linked to ‘Ndrangheta, Kuciak wrote.
Fico stood up for his co-workers on Tuesday.
“You cannot connect people with a premeditated murder without submitting a single relevant piece of evidence,” Fico said at a joint press conference with Interior Minister Robert Kalinak.
He added that Jasan had successfully passed all security vettings allowing him to have access to strictly confidential documents.
Aktuality.sk writes in a note on Kuciak’s unfinished article that the portal has cooperated with the Czech Centre for Investigative Journalism, the Investigative Reporting Project Italy (IRPI) organisation and the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) international organisation in tracing the activities of Italian mafia in Slovakia.
Slovak Police President Tibor Gaspar said on Tuesday that the murder of Kuciak in Slovakia had a link to the Czech Republic.
The Respekt.cz server writes that the respective connection is journalist Pavla Holcova, founder of the Czech Centre for Investigative Journalism, who cooperated with Kuciak recently on an article about the links of people around Fico to the mafia. She is now under the police protection, the server writes.
On Monday, the Slovak government promised a reward of one million euros for information helping catch the murderers of Kuciak and his girlfriend.
