Dennik N reported that 27-year-old Ján Kuciak, a journalist for news server Aktuality.sk, was killed along with his partner in the town of Veľka Mača, 65 kilometres (40 miles) east of the capital Bratislava.

The Interior Ministry and the police were not immediately available for comment. Police were due to hold a news conference later on Monday.

Kuciak’s last story for Aktuality on February 9 looked at suspected tax fraud connected to a luxury apartment complex in Bratislava.

The case around the apartment complex prompted protests last year to demand the resignation of Interior Minister Robert Kaliňák over his business dealings with property developer Ladislav Bašternák, who has been investigated over possible tax fraud. Both men have denied any wrongdoing.

Slovakia’s economy has boomed and living standards have risen sharply since it joined the European Union in 2004, but many Slovaks say their country still fails to defend the rule of law, especially in punishing graft.