A Slovak investigative journalist from the newsroom where murdered reporter Ján Kuciak once worked has reported being threatened by a businesswoman linked to the current Defence Minister and Vice-Chairman of Slovakia’s ruling SMER-SD party, intensifying fears that politically connected actors continue to intimidate the press seven years after Kuciak’s assassination. Peter Sabo of Aktuality.sk, the country’s leading investigative outlet, filed a criminal complaint after Stanislava Gálová—an entrepreneur with declared ties to Glortex, a fuel-sector company with €468 million in annual revenues—allegedly confirmed by phone that she knew his home address and intended her comment as a threat. The incident follows scrutiny of Gálová’s public procurement ties to the Ministry of Defence, led by Robert Kaliňák, a long-time political ally of Prime Minister Robert Fico. The Investigative Centre of Ján Kuciak, Slovakia’s sole independent body for cross-border reporting and journalist safety, condemned the threat and escalated the case to both national police and international media freedom monitors. With Marian Kočner—an oligarch previously shielded by Fico’s third administration—currently being retried for ordering Kuciak’s 2018 murder, the new case underscores growing concern that key political and economic power structures remain unreformed, and that intimidation of journalists remains embedded in Slovakia’s political ecosystem.
Investigative Journalist Intimidated for Asking Questions
Peter Sabo, a journalist with Slovak news platform Aktuality.sk, has reported receiving a direct threat from Stanislava Gálová, a public personality and co-owner of one of Slovakia’s fastest-growing energy firms. According to Sabo, Gálová told him over the phone that she knew where he lived. When he asked whether this constituted a threat, she reportedly confirmed that it did.
According to a follow-up report co-authored by Sabo and fellow Aktuality.sk investigative journalist Martin Turček, the threat was issued after Sabo contacted Gálová via her company’s official email to ask questions regarding her business activities in the fuel sector and her connection to Glortex, a firm with reported revenues in the hundreds of millions of euros. Gálová, who had previously drawn media attention for a controversial public procurement contract linked to the Ministry of Defence, reacted by stating she knew the journalist’s home address. When asked directly whether this was a threat, she answered affirmatively. The criminal complaint was filed the same day and was promptly taken up by Slovak police.
Gálová, a former glamour model with a large social media following, is listed as one of the beneficial owners of Glortex—a company that has drawn media attention for its extraordinary revenue growth and lack of public visibility. Glortex reported €468 million in revenue in 2023, surpassing several major international brands operating in Slovakia, including dm drogerie markt and Jaguar Land Rover Slovakia.
The threat allegedly followed a series of questions sent by Sabo to Glortex’s official contact address concerning the company’s finances, ownership structure, and Gálová’s personal economic background. Following the phone call, Sabo filed a criminal complaint, which police are now investigating.
The Investigative Centre of Ján Kuciak (ICJK), Slovakia’s only independent investigative journalism centre founded in 2018 to continue the legacy of the murdered journalist Ján Kuciak, has issued a strong public statement condemning the threat. ICJK stated: “We strongly condemn the threats addressed to Aktuality.sk investigative reporter Peter Sabo in connection with his work. Threats and attacks against journalists have no place in our society.” The centre further noted the growing pattern of intimidation, adding that it is “saddening to see journalists repeatedly targeted through personal attacks and harassing campaigns, including by state representatives, which contributes to the normalisation of hostility toward journalists.” The organisation confirmed that Sabo had sought support from ICJK’s journalist protection platform, Safe.Journalism.SK, and that the case had been escalated to a dedicated police contact point for crimes against journalists. The centre praised the police for their professional handling of the complaint and announced that the threat will be reported to the international monitoring system for journalist safety (MFRR).
Inside Slovakia’s Most Mysterious Fuel Firm
Based in the village of Šenkvice near Slovakia’s capital, Glortex operates from a discreet industrial site with minimal visible activity. According to data from Slovak financial reporting portals, it employs approximately 40 people but ranks among the country’s top 70 firms by revenue. The company is involved in both biofuel production and the trading of petroleum products—sectors that, in Slovakia, have historically been linked to large-scale financial scandals and law enforcement operations.
Glortex’s registered owners are Gálová and Juraj Farkaš. Little public information exists about Farkaš’s business history. Meanwhile, Gálová has cultivated an online persona showcasing a luxury lifestyle, including frequent foreign travel and private aviation. The origins of Glortex’s business success, given its limited infrastructure and workforce, have not been fully explained.
The company’s Šenkvice site was previously owned by Slavia Capital, an investment group associated with Martin Kvietik—a businessman currently on trial in the high-profile Dobytkár corruption case and linked to the Slovak National Party (SNS). The facility ceased operations in 2009 before being acquired by Glortex in 2019 and recommissioned for biofuel production.
Glortex has also come under scrutiny from Slovak tax authorities. According to publicly available court records, the company has made repeated requests for VAT refunds, which have been contested by the Financial Directorate of the Slovak Republic. In both 2022 and 2023, courts found against the company’s appeals to delay payment, with monthly refund claims reportedly reaching around €100,000 in 2024.
In a separate matter, another company owned by Gálová—SG Business Consulting—was awarded a €200,000 state cleaning contract in late 2023. The contract was issued by the Bytová agentúra rezortu ministerstva obrany (BARMO), a housing agency under the Ministry of Defence. According to reporting by Aktuality.sk, BARMO invited only three firms to tender, two of which had no previous experience in cleaning services. Although SG Business Consulting’s bid was not the cheapest, the lower bidder withdrew on the day the award was made.
Records indicate that SG Business Consulting only added cleaning services to its registered business activities days before the procurement. Gálová later stated the company had already provided cleaning personnel through its work as a staffing agency since 2022, though it remains unclear why the firm amended its business scope shortly before receiving the contract.
Stanislava Gálová is reported to have ties to Slovakia’s Minister of Defence Robert Kaliňák, who also serves as Vice-Chairman of the ruling party SMER-SD. Kaliňák is a long-time political ally of Prime Minister Fico and previously held the same ministerial post in Fico’s third administration. The article does not provide evidence of a formal business connection between Gálová and Kaliňák, but raises concerns over potential preferential treatment.
The Machinery That Enabled Kuciak’s Murder Still Turns
The episode has reignited fears about the security of journalists investigating power and corruption in Slovakia. Aktuality.sk is the same outlet for which journalist Ján Kuciak worked before his murder in 2018. Kuciak was investigating the connections between Slovak government officials and organised crime at the time of his death. Businessman Marian Kočner, widely seen as having been shielded by Fico’s third government, is currently undergoing a retrial for allegedly ordering the assassination after a previous acquittal was overturned by Slovakia’s Supreme Court.
The threat reported by Peter Sabo has been published by Aktuality.sk without a response from Gálová or Glortex, citing the seriousness of the matter and its relevance to press freedom. It remains unclear whether any formal statement from the parties involved will follow.
Source: Peter Sabo | Aktuality.sk
