Bangladesh, Dec. 4 -- For years, Slovakia has grappled with the lingering ghosts of corruption, opaque land deals, and unexplained fortunes. But a recent joint investigation by OCCRP member centers has reopened one of the countrys most sensitive wounds: the infiltration of alleged Ndrangheta-linked figures into its agricultural and business sectors. What began as the unfinished work of murdered investigative journalist Ján Kuciak has now evolved into a multilayered expose revealing how several Italian businessmen – some convicted, others under investigation – quietly built a presence in eastern Slovakia.

At the center of the story sits Antonino Vadalà, a name already familiar to Slovaks due to his indirect role in t...