Key Witness Describes Journalist Surveillance and Kočner's Instructions in Court Testimony

Peter Tóth, a former private investigator, testified in court about the surveillance of journalists and statements made by Marian Kočner, a controversial Slovak businessman at the center of one of the country's most significant criminal cases. Tóth told the court that Kočner had ordered the monitoring of journalists, providing testimony that sheds further light on the alleged orchestration of intimidation against members of the press. Kočner is best known internationally as the man charged in connection with the 2018 murder of investigative journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kušnírová — an assassination that triggered mass protests across Slovakia and led to the resignation of the then-prime minister. While Kočner was ultimately acquitted of ordering the murders, he was convicted on separate fraud charges. Ongoing legal proceedings continue to examine the full scope of his alleged criminal activities, including the surveillance and harassment of journalists who investigated him. Tóth's testimony is significant because it provides a direct account from someone who was involved in operations linked to Kočner. The surveillance of journalists represents a serious press freedom concern and remains a sensitive issue in Slovakia, where the Kuciak murder fundamentally shook public trust in institutions and accelerated demands for accountability from both politicians and powerful business figures.