The senate of the Specialised Criminal Court said that the communication from the Threema app found in a mobile phone of Marian Kočner was obtained in a legal way.
Its chair Ružena Sabová, however, has not said whether and when they will allow its reading aloud during the trial in the murder case related to Ján Kuciak and Martina Kušnírová. However, if necessary, they will invite both witnesses or the charged to be heard again.
Kočner’s lawyer Marek Para repeatedly objected to the way the police got hold of the evidence.
“The court has no doubts about the legality of how the evidence was gained,” Sabová said about Threema, as quoted by the Sme daily.
Marček was alone
The trial continued with its sixth day, with all people accused in the case present.
Related story:How the Kuciak case changed Slovakia (overview) Read more Miroslav Marček, who admitted to killing Kuciak, Kušnírová and businessman Peter Molnár, will be judged individually, the senate decided.
As a result, the main hearing will include the remaining people charged, namely Alena Zsuzsová, Tomáš Szabó and Kočner.
During the January 22 proceeding, the accused were given the opportunity to talk again and comment on the testimonies of the others who are charged. While Marček described how he murdered Kuciak and Kušnírová, the parents of the deceased were crying.
Charged with another murder
Szabó chose the option of not testifying, so his previous testimony given to the police was read aloud instead. Marček and Szabó accused each other of lying.
Related story:Alena Zsuzsová: The woman charged with three murders Read more Zsuzsová said she will testify at the next proceedings.
“I cannot comment on the act itself because I know nothing more about it than what I learned from the media,” she said, as quoted by Sme. Her testimony was also read aloud.
Meanwhile, the Denník N daily reported that the prosecutor of the Special Prosecutor’s Office charged Zsuzsová with ordering the murder of former Hurbanovo mayor László Basternák, killed in 2010.
22. Jan 2020 at 12:43 | Compiled by Spectator staff
