Kočner Repeats Claim He Wasn't Interested in Kuciak, Can't Recall Why He Messaged Him at Christmas 2017

Marian Kočner, the businessman convicted in connection with the murder of investigative journalist Ján Kuciak, reiterated his claim that he had no interest in the reporter during recent testimony. However, Kočner could not explain why he had contacted Kuciak around Christmas 2017. The testimony comes amid ongoing legal proceedings related to the 2018 murder case that shocked Slovakia. In a September 2017 phone call, Kočner had threatened Kuciak, saying he would investigate and expose any wrongdoing by the journalist and his family, warning that "everyone has something under their fingernails" and promising to publish findings with evidence. Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kušnírová were murdered at their home in February 2018, a crime that led to massive protests and the resignation of then-Prime Minister Robert Fico. The case exposed deep connections between organized crime, business interests, and political power in Slovakia.