Marian Kočner court proceedings continue in Donovaly and Báč cases

The Specialized Criminal Court in Banská Bystrica will resume hearings on Marian Kočner’s cases on 3 and 5 August. Prosecutors have charged Kočner and three others with tax evasion, failure to pay insurance contributions and creditor‑damage offences. The indictment concerns excessive VAT deductions exceeding €8 million linked to property sales in the Donovaly resort between 2010‑2012, and a creditor‑damage crime tied to a public auction of a golf course in Báč that caused nearly €3 million in losses.

The trial follows earlier proceedings that began in October 2025. Kočner, already serving a 19‑year sentence for falsifying TV contracts, has previously been acquitted in the murder case of journalist Ján Kuciak, though the Supreme Court later annulled those acquittals. The current process marks the third trial before the first‑instance court, with additional related cases scheduled for later in the year.