Prime Minister Robert Fico's Shooter Might Not Have Acted Alone
The Minister of Internal Affairs, Matúš Šutaj Eštok, has announced that an investigation team has been established and that the police are examining the theory that the attacker might not have acted alone, reports actuality.sk.
"According to this theory, the attacker was part of a group that orchestrated this crime. Two hours after the deed was committed, the perpetrator's entire history and messages on Facebook were erased, but it seems that neither he nor his wife did it. Based on this operative information, we are also considering the possibility that a group of individuals might be behind the crime," stated the Slovak Minister of Internal Affairs.
The official specified that practically all police officers are in the field, monitoring shopping centres, areas with high population density, the headquarters of certain newspapers and TV stations, the residences of constitutional officials, and politicians who have received various death threats.
Robert Fico was shot on Wednesday, 15 May, after the government session held in the city of Handlova, 200 kilometres from Bratislava. The attacker is Juraj Cintula, a 71-year-old writer from Levice, 80 kilometres from the site of the attack.
The Slovak Prime Minister underwent surgery immediately after the assassination attempt, in Banská Bystrica. Robert Fico's health condition is stable but still serious.
The Minister of Defense, Robert Kaliňák, reiterated that there are no plans to transfer the Prime Minister to Bratislava in the near future and that he remains under the care of the doctors at Roosevelt Hospital. According to the minister, Robert Fico's recovery will take at least a few weeks.
Robert Kaliňák specified that the government is receiving instructions from the Prime Minister and will strive to maintain the country's functioning in his absence.
At present, Juraj Cintula is in preventive detention.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
