Slovakia’s deputy prime minister has stepped down after mass protests demanded his resignation following the murder of a reporter and his fiancee.
Ján Kuciak and Martina Kušnírová, both 27, were found shot dead on February 26 as Kuciak was investigating Italian mafia ties to the country’s government.
Interior Minister Robert Kalinak on Monday quit his post under pressure both from the public and figures within the ruling coalition government.
Ján Kuciak and Martina Kušnírová, both 27, were found shot dead on February 26 as Kuciak was investigating Italian mafia ties to the Slovakian government
Interior Minister Robert Kalinak on Monday quit his post under pressure both from the public and figures within the ruling coalition government over the murders
‘It’s important for stability to be maintained, therefore I decided to resign the post of deputy prime minister and interior minister,’ he said.
‘I think I will do more for the investigators not to be disturbed in their work if I resign.’
The coalition’s junior partner, Most-Hid, demanded Prime Minister Robert Fico sack him or it would leave the government.
Leadership of Most-Hid, which mostly represents ethnic Hungarians, planned to meet later on Monday to discuss whether Mr Kalinak’s resignation was enough.
‘The national council always decides… In such cases it has the final word,’ its leader Bela Bugar said.
More than 50,000 protesters flooded the streets of the capital Bratislava on Friday in the biggest demonstration since the Velvet Revolution.
The mafia were believed to be behind Kuciak’s murder as police said his death was ‘most likely’ related to his investigation
An unfinished summary of his investigation for Aktuality.SK was published after his death, with an international team assembled to finish his work
Ms Kušnírová was found next to him, shot once in the head, likely collateral damage in the hit on her fiance
Protesters chanted ‘enough of Fico’ and jangled keys just like in the marches that toppled the communist regime in 1989.
They demanded a new government and a thorough investigation of Kuciak’s murder and didn’t believe Mr Kalinak could oversee it impartially.
‘We don’t trust them to guarantee an independent investigation. They have failed to investigate all previous scandals,’ protester Maria Kuliovska, a 30-year-old mother on maternity leave, said.
Mr Kalinak was the second minister from the ruling Smer party to resign since the assassinations, following Culture Minister Marek Madaric.
The mafia were believed to be behind Kuciak’s murder as police said his death was ‘most likely’ related to his investigation.
An unfinished summary of his investigation for Aktuality.SK was published after his death, with an international team assembled to finish his work.
The first lead in Kuciak’s story was Prime Minister Robert Fico (pictured) hiring Mária Trošková, a then-27-year-old former topless model and Miss Universe contestant as an assistant
More than 50,000 protesters flooded the streets of the capital Bratislava on Friday in the biggest demonstration since the Velvet Revolution.
Protesters chanted ‘enough of Fico’ and jangled keys just like in the marches that toppled the communist regime in 1989
The first lead was Mr Fico hiring Mária Trošková, a then-27-year-old former topless model and Miss Universe contestant as an assistant.
Her appointment was despite any relevant job experience, and Mr Fico refused to divulge her job description or how she got a security clearance.
Kuciak then discovered she used to be a business partner of Italian man Antonino Vadala, 42, who founded GIA Management in Slovakia.
Vadala allegedly had close ties to the mafia and in 2001 Italian police issued a warrant for his arrest after he was caught discussing a fugitive drug trafficker and killer in his home in Calabria.
They demanded a new government and a thorough investigation of Kuciak’s murder and didn’t believe Mr Kalinak could oversee it impartially
‘We don’t trust them to guarantee an independent investigation. They have failed to investigate all previous scandals,’ one protester said
The coalition’s junior partner, Most-Hid, demanded Prime Minister Robert Fico sack his deputy or it would leave the government
The charges were dropped after he left Italy for Slovakia and the killer Domenico ‘Mico’ Ventura was sentenced to life in prison.
Other reporters on the investigation told The Guardian mafia members ‘entered into business with regional politicians’ to form a syndicate.
Reporters were just have to start confront the major players in the story when Kuciak and Ms Kušnírová were shot in their brand new home in Vel’ká Mača.
Kuciak had investigated the mafia before in stories probing stolen EU funds diverted to eastern Slovakia by the mafia.
He also wrote about a real estate developer investigated for tax fraud who had business ties to Kalinak, both of whom denied any wrongdoing.
Mr Fico responded to comments by opposition MPs insinuating he had something to do with the reporter’s murder by calling them ‘political abuse of a tragedy’.
‘Do not link innocent people without any evidence to a double homicide. It’s crossing the line. It’s no longer funny,’ he said on Tuesday.
Mr Fico offered a €1 million reward for information about the murders, posing with his lieutenants beside a stack of banknotes totaling the reward sum.
Mr Kalinak was the second minister from the ruling Smer party to resign amid public pressure since the assassinations, following Culture Minister Marek Madaric
Mr Fico responded to comments by opposition MPs insinuating he had something to do with the reporter’s murder by calling them ‘political abuse of a tragedy’