reuters

The Czech defence minister suspended the head of the military police on Saturday after masked soldiers armed with assault rifles raided Czech public television, seizing computers, doc-uments and other items.

Minister Alexandr Vondra suspended General Vladimir Lozka and two other officers, his spokesman said.

In the Friday raid, about 10 military police stormed Czech Television in search of a report that caused a military intelligence shakeup in 2007, Czech Television and other media reported.

Czech Television said on its website it had filed a criminal complaint against the military police for abuse of authority and requested a review of the role of the state prosecutor who had approved of the operation.

Legally the military police have jurisdiction over military bases and any material relating to the armed forces.

The broadcaster also asked for the immediate return of computers, audio records, notebooks and phone numbers taken and said the raid was an attack on independent media and a threat to its code of protecting the identity of sources.

"Czech Television demands a thorough investigation into the attack on the independence of a public television service and that those behind this unprecedented action take responsibility," it said on its website.

The report, which Czech Television said the police did not find, led to the dismissal of former military intelligence head Miroslav Krejcik in 2007.