Markíza's own security personnel along with station's employees attempted to resist the hostile takeover but were powerless against described by Rusko's Deputy Pavlík as "the most ruthless thugs in the underworld".

The rallies were supported by many popular artists as well as opposition politicians, including future prime ministers Mikuláš Dzurinda and Robert Fico.

Even though he was no longer the CEO, Rusko likely retained a degree of control over Markíza, which strongly supported his new political project Alliance of the New Citizen (ANO).

The extent of the support was such, that Markíza got repeatedly fined by the regulator for failing to objectively inform about political developments and even its broadcasting license got in danger.

In 2005 he was fired by the prime minister Mikuláš Dzurinda, after it became public knowledge that Rusko borrowed a substantial sum of money from a controversial businessman.

In 2018, he surprised the public by announcing that the actual way how he settled the dispute with Marián Kočner over the debt back in 2000 was by issuing promissory notes in the total value of 70 million EUR.

[15] In response to the lawsuit, TV Markíza filled a counter-suit, alleging Kočner and Rusko conspired to defraud the company by forging and backdating the promissory note.

On 27 February 2020, the court sentenced Kočner and Rusko to 19 years in prison for falsifying the promissory notes and attempting to fraudulently extort millions from TV Markíza.

[16] Mikuláš Černák, a former Mafia boss serving life sentence since 2007, accused Rusko of ordering a murder of TV Markíza's co-owner Silvia Volzová.

The court case is still ongoing, Černák made a sworn testimony that he had Volzová followed and was preparing to kidnap and murder her, but he was unable to finish the deed because he was taken into custody for other killings.

The district eventually managed to stop the transaction and regain ownership of the house, although the Beacon of Hope ceased functioning in the meantime and the inhabitants had to leave the shelter.

[19] On 23 November 2023 Rusko was found guilty of defrauding the foundation but the judge did not sentence him to any additional punishment, deeming the 19 years jail term for forging promissory notes sufficient.