Slovak ex-soldier reportedly confesses to journalist's death

April 12 (UPI) -- A former Slovak soldier reportedly confessed to the shooting and death of journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kusnirova after the National Crime Agency interrogated him.

Local media in Slovakia identified the soldier, Miroslav Marcek, as being involved in the incident that left the journalist dead. The death sparked protests in the country that led to the resignation of prime minister Robert Fico and interior minister Robert Kalinak.

Kuciak and Kusnirova died in February 2018, possibly in connection with an article he wrote for Aktuality.sk. That article focused on alleged tax fraud connected to the exclusive Five Star Residence in Bratislava, along with the questionable activity of local businessman Marian Kocner and his links to the ruling political party.

Slovak prosecutors have now charged Kocner with ordering a hit on Kuciak. Marcek allegedly confessed to shooting Kuciak and his fiancée and is thought to have driven three other suspects to the scene, according to the Slovakia news website Tvnoviny.sk. All are currently in custody.

Kuciak reported to authorities that he had received death threats from Slovak businessmen in relation to his investigative stories but it had not been answered for more than a month. The Slovak government offered a $1.13 million reward for information in the case.

Slovakia is a land-locked country in central Europe that was part of Czechoslovakia until 1993 and has a population of 5.4 million.