Key Takeaways
- The donation reportedly came from an individual called Tomas Jirikovsky, a previously convicted of drug trafficking and cybercrime.
- Blazek claimed he was unaware of any wrongdoing and added that he do not want this matter to tarnish the administration.
In an interesting development, Czech Republic Justice Minister, Pavel Blazek resigned from his post after receiving flak for his ministry allegedly accepting a donation in bitcoins and selling them for over $45 million in March.
The donation reportedly came from an individual called Tomas Jirikovsky, a previously convicted of drug trafficking and cybercrime, triggering allegations of money laundering and ethical misconduct. Jirikovsky is also the convicted mastermind behind the infamous Sheep Marketplace, a dark web platform notorious for selling illegal goods.
Since his release, he has been engaged in legal battles to reclaim nearly 1,500 bitcoins seized during his arrest—assets believed to be linked to shuttered illicit platforms like Nucleus.
Blazek got caught himself in the eye of the storm when Jirikovsky’s lawyer approached him, offering one-third of the Bitcoin as a donation to the Justice Ministry and Blazek accepted it without due diligence, triggering public outcry. This development came as a short in the arm for opposition who dubbed it as a major scandal.
Announcing his resignation, Blazek took to social media. “I have no way to investigate the matter, and I wasn’t interested so many years after the case,” he said.
Blazek, a senior figure in Prime Minister Petr Fiala’s government and a member of the Civic Democratic Party, claimed he was unaware of any wrongdoing.”I do not want this matter to tarnish the administration,” his post reads
The opposition ANO party, led by former Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, has seized on the scandal, calling for a deeper investigation into the bitcoin’s origins and accusing the justice ministry of potentially laundering criminal assets. With legislative elections looming in early October, the controversy could shift political momentum.
Czech law enforcement, including the organized crime unit, is now investigating the transaction. Prosecutors have opened a formal probe, and the ministry has been asked to disclose all correspondence related to the donation. The transparency demand underscores growing pressure for public accountability in digital asset governance.
Prime Minister Fiala expressed support for Blazek’s departure, noting that while he believed the minister had acted in good faith, stepping down was the right decision. He further expressed confidence that Blazek had acted in good faith, but acknowledged that the situation demanded full transparency and accountability.
The police organized crime unit has launched a formal investigation into the case, and state prosecutors confirmed on Friday that a probe is underway.
