Key witness linked Kočner to the murder

The key witness of the prosecution testified for over four hours on the second day of the trial.

"I mediated the murder of Ján Kuciak between Alena Zsuzsová and Mr Szabó at the order of Mr Kočner," Zoltán Andruskó told the court in Pezinok on the second day of the Kuciak murder trial.

Andruskó is a key witness for the prosecution. The police first detained him and charged him in connection with the murder in the autumn of 2018, but he very quickly started cooperating with the investigators. On December 30, the court approved the guilt and punishment deal between him and the prosecutor, and sent him to prison for 15 years.

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Andruskó's testimony is important for the prosecution because it links Alena Zsuzsová and Marian Kočner with the murder.

Andruskó: I feared Zsuzsová

Andruskó was brought to the courtroom wearing a bulletproof vest and a hood covering his face. His face was only exposed once he sat on the witness bench. Media are not allowed to take and broadcast images of his face.

After apologising to the families of Kuciak and Kušnírová, Andruskó described his relations with the defendants. He said he got acquainted with Zsuzsová on an internet chat service, Pokec, "some eight or nine years ago". He also confirmed he is acquainted with Tomáš Szabó, who introduced him to Miroslav Marček in 2016.

He said he had not met Kočner in person but later testified that he helped Kočner with a real estate transaction, and communicated with him on Zsuzsová's phone.

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Andruskó told the court that Zsuzsová had ordered the murder of Hurbanovo Mayor László Basternák. Zsuzsová is facing charges over that murder, too. He also said she abused personal data for a petition to found the Cieľ political party (reportedly one that Kočner wanted to start). He also linked her to the planning of the murder of prosecutor Maroš Žilinka.

Andruskó said Zsuzsová often told him about her contacts with Kočner.

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