New interior minister sworn in amid slain journalist crisis

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia – Slovakia’s president has sworn in a new interior minister, the third person in the hot seat since the slayings of an investigative journalist and his fiancee triggered a political crisis.

Thursday’s appointment of Denisa Sakova comes after her two predecessors resigned following large street protests. But it is unlikely to calm the situation in the country that is struggling to understand the Feb. 21 shooting deaths of Jan Kuciak and Martina Kusnirova.

Kuciak was investigating possible widespread government corruption.

The slayings led to the resignation of Interior Minister Robert Kalinak, who was linked to corruption scandals. That was followed by the resignation of the entire coalition government.

Sakova was Kalinak’s deputy. President Andrej Kiska has criticized her nomination but could not reject her appointment, according to the Slovak constitution.