Top Czech judge shot dead

The former chief judge of Czechoslovakia’s Constitutional Court has been shot dead in his home.

The Slovakian Interior Ministry said today Ernest Galko, 57 was killed yesterday, but gave no further details.

Politicians from the governing coalition and the opposition said today that they were in shock.

After the fall of communism in 1989, Mr Balko become a politician and served as the Czechoslovak Constitutional Court’s chief judge from 1992 until the country’s peaceful split in 1993.

Police said said Mr Valko was killed by a single shot fired from several yards.

Interior Minister Daniel Lipsic said the police unit that deals with organised crime had taken over the case.

It was not immediately clear if Mr Valko’s death was related to his legal practice. “We’re not going to speculate about the motive,” Mr Lipsic said.

He said that people who spoke with Mr Valko recently said he had not feared for his life.

Politicians from the both the governing coalition and the opposition said Tuesday they were in shock.

In 2006, Mr Valko was arrested on suspicion of blackmailing two businessmen who were buying parcels of land in western Slovakia. He denied wrongdoing and he was not charged.