Slovakia: Suspects in reporter’s slaying kept in custody

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia – A court in Slovakia says four suspects in the slayings of an investigative journalist and his fiancee will have to remain in custody.

The four were arrested on Thursday and Friday and face murder charges in the Feb. 21 deaths of journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancee, Martina Kusnirova. The couple was shot in their home.

Slovak authorities have said they think it was a contract killing linked to Kuciak’s work. He was investigating possible government corruption and ties between politicians and Italian mobsters.

The killings triggered a political crisis that resulted in protests, the dismissal of the national police chief and the government’s collapse.

The court that ruled Sunday said the suspects should be held because they might engage in criminal activities or try to influence witnesses, if they were freed.