Journalist Martina Ruttkayová was writing stories upon the order of Marian Kočner, according to messages exchanged between Kočner and Ruttkayová via the Threema app, published by the Postoj.sk website.
The police obtained the communication from a mobile phone handed to them by former-journalist-turned-spy Peter Tóth, the Sme daily wrote.
Positive story on Jankovská
While Smer wanted its nominee, state secretary of the Justice Ministry Monika Jankovská, to become member of the Judicial Council, Kočner allegedly wanted Ruttkayová to write positively about her.
“I owe you a favour,” Kočner wrote, as quoted by Sme. “I care about it a lot.”