Bratislava—On January 12, 2021, the Supreme Court of the Slovak Republic confirmed the verdict delivered by the Specialized Criminal Court in February 2020 on the forging of four promissory notes of TV Markíza. Pavol Rusko, a former minister and onetime owner of private television broadcaster TV Markíza, and businessman Marian Kočner were accused of forging the promissory notes and using them to demand €69 million from the television station.  Both Kočner and Rusko were declared guilty of forging the promissory notes and were sentenced each to 19 years’ imprisonment.

Dentons’ Litigation team represented TV Markíza in the case. Partner Daniel Lipšic led the team with support from senior associate Miroslava Ješíková and associate Dagmar Horváthová.

In one of the most high-profile trials in Slovak history, Marian Kočner has been also charged with ordering the murder of the investigative reporter Ján Kuciak and his fiancée. The Specialized Criminal Court cleared him of the ordering the killings in September 2020, and the case is now on appeal. Daniel Lipšic is representing Ján Kuciak’s parents in this process on a pro bono basis.

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