Nearly two decades after his disappearance, new testimony from an incarcerated Hungarian criminal is shedding light on the 2008 case of Slovak journalist Paľo Rýpal. Norbert Kosťov,currently serving a life sentence for a double murder,claims Rýpal was surveilled and ultimately targeted at the behest of a notorious slovak crime boss,Lajos Sátor. As investigators again search a forest near Čenkov,slovakia,for Rýpal’s remains,this new evidence offers a potential break in a case that has long haunted the nation and raised concerns about press freedom and organized crime [[1]].
A former associate’s testimony has shed new light on the 2008 disappearance of Slovak journalist Paľo Rýpal, a case that has remained unsolved for over 17 years and continues to haunt the nation. Norbert Kosťov, currently incarcerated in Hungary, recently told authorities that he and others surveilled Rýpal before his presumed abduction and murder.
Kosťov’s claims center around a potential connection to Lajos Sátor, a notorious figure in Slovak organized crime. According to Kosťov, the journalist was targeted as a favor to Sátor, and the alleged perpetrators were promised a reward of 10,000 Slovak crowns for the act. The revelation comes as investigators continue to search for Rýpal’s remains in a forest near Čenkov, Slovakia.
Norbert Kosťov (vľavo) a Róbert Tóth alias Čučo
Zdroj: FB Aktuality.sk
Who is Norbert Kosťov?
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Norbert Kosťov is a known figure in southern Slovakia, particularly around Štúrovo. He is currently awaiting a court decision on his life sentence in a Hungarian prison. His recent statements, however, have brought renewed attention to the 2008 disappearance of journalist Paľo Rýpal.
Kosťov and his accomplice, Zsolt Hajnal, were convicted in April 2025 of a double murder in Hungary, a case known locally as the “Marina Shore Dismemberment.” Hungarian police initially struggled to locate the crime scene and the victims’ bodies, but eventually determined that two Slovak citizens were executed with six gunshot wounds to the head on February 11, 2016, in an apartment on Marina Shore in Budapest. The victims were identified as Štefan Jóba, a controversial businessman from Komárno who was evading prosecution in Slovakia, and his girlfriend, Enikő, who had come to visit him.
According to investigators, Jóba used Kosťov as a logistical aide while hiding in Hungary using false documents. Kosťov managed Jóba’s finances and made purchases, including gold, at his direction. The arrangement included a monthly salary for Kosťov, but investigators believe he ultimately sought a larger payout, leading him to orchestrate Jóba’s murder with the help of an accomplice. The perpetrators then dismembered the bodies in the apartment, placed the remains in suitcases, and Hajnal buried them in a forest near Pilisszentiván, Hungary.
A Show of Remorse
The brutal murder case dragged on for years, and Kosťov apparently began to fear the consequences. In 2019, he voluntarily visited police in Nitra, Slovakia, and confessed to past criminal activities, including working for Jóba in his youth. He claimed their relationship had grown closer while they were both incarcerated. However, he did not initially disclose details about Jóba’s murder.
He did, however, discuss numerous other acts of violence and economic crimes, frequently mentioning Róbert Tóth, known as “Čučo.” Tóth is a well-known figure in Štúrovo, described as a mentor in the criminal underworld. Kosťov identified Tóth as the originator of a scheme to create a shell company to defraud the government of value-added tax (VAT). The plan allegedly involved Štúrovo waiter Štefan Bednár. Kosťov claimed that when Bednár became a liability, Tóth was responsible for his murder in 2005. The two men, along with a third accomplice, allegedly dismembered the body with a saw in an apartment, then divided the remains into buckets and covered them with concrete. Kosťov alleges Tóth disposed of the buckets, but Tóth has vehemently denied all accusations. The body has never been found, and the case remains inactive.
Pavol Rýpal
Zdroj: Rodinný archív I.U.
“I’m Sorry, But I Saw No Other Way Out”
Kosťov recently came forward with information regarding the disappearance of Paľo Rýpal, claiming that he and others tracked the journalist’s movements in Štúrovo. This claim is supported by reports that Rýpal was seen in Štúrovo shortly after his disappearance on April 22, 2008. A waiter at a local hotel confirmed seeing Rýpal, stating, “Yes, I remember him, I think he slept here one or two nights. He was a little thin.” The waiter said Rýpal did not appear stressed and inquired about internet access, using his laptop and discussing cameras with the staff.
Rýpal subsequently logged off Skype, a communication platform he used with acquaintances. In a peculiar move, he appeared to say goodbye to them without explicitly doing so. Shortly before his disappearance, he had been struggling with subletting issues in Bratislava and faced difficulties at work. However, he did receive a final payment of over 30,000 Slovak crowns from a colleague. His landlord reportedly gave him an ultimatum to vacate the apartment. His belongings and a brief note were found in the apartment. “I’m sorry, but I saw no other way out,” Rýpal wrote to the landlord, adding instructions for caring for his cats and returning his belongings. “You can throw my things away,” he concluded, signing his first name.
Kosťov told authorities that once Rýpal arrived in Štúrovo, he was under constant surveillance by a group of locals, including Kosťov himself. He mentioned Tóth and another associate from their past. According to Kosťov, Rýpal was then forcibly taken from near the hotel, restrained, and strangled before his body was buried in the Čenkov Forest. Tóth has disputed Kosťov’s account, claiming he was not in Štúrovo at the time and was likely in Budapest. He also stated that he had previously shared information with police investigators.
The Truth Remains Elusive
Kosťov told police that the killing was carried out at the behest of Lajos Sátor, a feared leader of a southern Slovakian criminal gang, as a favor. He claimed a reward of 10,000 Slovak crowns was promised for the act. Rýpal’s sister expressed skepticism about the alleged connection to Sátor.
“My brother wrote a lot about the mafia, but he never said, or I don’t think he wrote, that they knew each other personally, or that he was directly targeted by them. To put it simply, I knew that name because his articles mentioned various gangs. But I don’t know… a conflict directly between the two of them? I don’t know… Paľo, I think, was just seen as someone who wrote things,” said Iveta Uhliariková.
In the summer of 2025, police briefly transported Kosťov to Slovakia, where he indicated the location where Rýpal’s remains were believed to be buried. He has since been returned to Hungary, but investigators continue to search the forest. It remains to be seen whether Kosťov’s testimony can advance the investigation into the disappearance of Paľo Rýpal, a case that has haunted Slovakia for nearly two decades. The journalist had reportedly asked Kosťov to procure false documents shortly before his disappearance, and to find a secluded cabin where he could hide.
The truth is, Paľo is gone – for more than seventeen years. The pain of his loss has not diminished with time. He is missed by his family, friends, and colleagues in the media. And now, more than ever, there is a need for answers, for Paľo to be found before the final song plays.
