The Fico shooting occurred on May 15 following a government meeting in the former mining town of Handlová, situated two hours’ drive away from Bratislava. (source: TSS)
Despite months of investigation, Slovak authorities have yet to determine whether the man accused of attempting to assassinate Prime Minister Robert Fico acted alone, or if, as the government suggests, he had accomplices.
The shooter, a 71-year-old pensioner named Juraj Cintula, remains in custody, but official updates from police and prosecutors have been scarce, leaving the public in the dark about key details – including the extent of the prime minister’s injuries and the progress of the investigation.
The shooting occurred on May 15 following a government meeting in the former mining town of Handlová, situated two hours’ drive away from Bratislava. The premier will return to the town on Friday, September 6, for the first time since the shooting.
On Friday, August 23, the Specialised Criminal Court denied Cintula’s request to be released from custody. The written explanation of this decision, recently made public, sheds some light on the situation, although many key questions remain unanswered.
Prime Minister Fico himself fuelled speculation about accomplices when he addressed the nation in a video on June 5, several weeks after the attack. “I have no reason to believe this was the act of a lone madman,” Fico said. A hundred days have passed since the assassination attempt, but there is still no mention of any possible accomplices in the case.
