Slovaks Stumped: Europool Joins Kuciak Murder Investigation

Bratislava/The Hague, April 18 (CTK) – An international investigating team will deal with the murder of Slovak journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancee on the basis of an agreement that was signed in The Hague today, Slovak Prosecutor’s Office spokeswoman Andrea Predajnova has told CTK.

 

General Prosecutor Jaromir Ciznar signed the agreement on behalf of Slovakia.

 

Representatives of Slovakia and Italy as well as Europol and the Eurojust EU agency for judicial cooperation were negotiating about the establishment of a joint investigating team earlier.

 

Investigative journalist Kuciak wrote in his unfinished article about the activities of Italian businesspeople in East Slovakia, who were linked to mafia, and about ties between one of them, Antonino Vadala, and close aides to Slovak PM Robert Fico (Smer-Social Democracy).

 

“I consider the signing of this agreement extremely important since it will serve as a basis for information exchange and obtaining data to clarify the deed and find its perpetrator or perpetrators,” said Ciznar, commenting on the joint team.

 

The Slovak Prosecutor’s Office proposed to the Italian authorities that a joint investigating team be set up in March, almost a month after the double murder in Slovakia, which resulted in a political crisis, Fico’s resignation as PM and a government reshuffle.

 

The Eurojust President, Slovak Ladislav Hamran, says Eurojust is prepared to help prosecutors in Slovakia and Italy in their investigation into the double murder.