Czech government faces no-confidence vote over bitcoin scandal
FILE PHOTO: Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala attends a meeting in Belgrade, Serbia, November 6, 2024. REUTERS/Zorana Jevtic/File Photo/File Photo
PRAGUE (Reuters) -The main Czech opposition party on Thursday called a no-confidence vote in the government, accusing it of corruption over the acceptance of a payment to the state by an ex-convict worth $45 million in bitcoin.
The vote, scheduled to take place on Tuesday, is likely to fail as the government has a majority in parliament - but it could still dent the ruling centre-right coalition's chances in an October 3-4 election in which it trails the opposition.
Political veteran Pavel Blazek resigned as justice minister on May 31 for accepting the payment for the state, though he denied doing anything illegal.
Opposition groups including the ANO party led by former prime minister Andrej Babis have called on Prime Minister Petr Fiala to quit and said the payment was evidence of corruption.
"We have no choice," ANO vice-chair Alena Schillerova said on X after filing the no-confidence motion.
The man who made the donation of 468 bitcoins to the state was in jail from 2017 until 2021 after being convicted of involvement in the drug trade, fraud and illegal possession of weapons.
Blazek has faced criticism for possibly legitimising the ex-convict's assets, instead of turning to prosecutors or police to help secure them.
Opinion polls show Babis's ANO party with a clear lead over the main group in the government coalition led by Fiala's ODS party.
(Reporting by Jason Hovet; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
37 minutes ago
- The Star
Israel, Iran launch more barrages as Israel aims to wipe out Tehran's nuclear programme
TEL AVIV/DUBAI/WASHINGTON: Iran and Israel targeted each other with airstrikes early on Saturday (June 14) after Israel launched its biggest-ever offensive against its longtime foe in a bid to prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon. Air raid sirens sounded in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, the country's two largest cities before dawn, sending residents rushing into shelters. The military said its air defence systems were operating, seeking to intercept Iranian missiles. "In the last hour, dozens of missiles have been launched at the state of Israel from Iran, some of which were intercepted," the Israeli military said. It said rescue teams were operating at a number of locations across the country where fallen projectiles were reported, without commenting on casualties. Several explosions were heard in the Iranian capital Tehran, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported. The Fars news agency said two projectiles hit Tehran's Mehrabad airport, and Iranian media said flames were reported there. Close to key Iranian leadership sites, the airport hosts an air force base with fighter jets and transport aircraft. Israeli media said a suspected missile came down in Tel Aviv, and a Reuters witness heard a loud boom in Jerusalem. It was unclear whether Iranian strikes or Israeli defensive measures were behind the activity. Israeli rescue forces in a building damaged by an Iranian ballistic missile attack in Ramat Gan, Israel, on June 13. - Photo: Bloomberg Fars said Tehran launched a third wave of airstrikes on June 14 after two salvos on June 13 night. Those were in response to Israel's attacks on Iran early on June 13 against commanders, nuclear scientists, military targets and nuclear sites. In central Tel Aviv, a high-rise building was hit during a wave of the missile attacks, damaging the lower third of the structure, which stands in a densely populated urban area. An apartment block in nearby Ramat Gan was destroyed. Israel's ambulance service said 34 people were injured on June 13 night in the Tel Aviv area, most with minor injuries. Police later said one person had died. The US military helped shoot down Iranian missiles headed for Israel on June 13, two US officials said. Israel's military said Iran fired fewer than 100 missiles on June 13 and that most were intercepted or fell short. Several buildings in and around Tel Aviv were hit. The Israeli strikes on Iran throughout the day and the Iranian retaliation raised fears of a broader regional conflagration, although Iran's allies Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon have been decimated by Israel. Iran's state news agency IRNA said Tehran launched hundreds of ballistic missiles at Israel after Israel blasted Iran's huge Natanz underground nuclear site and killed its top military commanders. Iran says its nuclear programme is only for peaceful purposes. Israeli officials said it may be some time before the extent of damage at Natanz was clear. Western countries have long accused Iran of refining uranium there to levels suitable for a bomb rather than civilian use. Residents take shelter during an Iranian ballistic missile attack in Tel Aviv, Israel, on June 13. - Photo: Bloomberg The above-ground pilot enrichment plant at Natanz has been destroyed, UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi told the Security Council on June 13. He said the UN was still gathering information about Israeli attacks on two other facilities, the Fordow fuel enrichment plant and at Isfahan. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused Israel of starting a war. A senior Iranian official said nowhere in Israel would be safe and revenge would be painful. Iran's UN envoy Amir Saeid Iravani said 78 people, including senior military officials, were killed in Israel's strikes on Iran and more than 320 people were wounded, most of them civilians. He accused the US of being complicit in the attacks and said it shared full responsibility for the consequences. Israel's UN envoy Danny Danon said intelligence had confirmed that within days Iran would have produced enough fissile material for multiple bombs. He called Israel's operation "an act of national preservation." First responders work at an impact site following missile attack from Iran on Israel, in Tel Aviv, on June 14. - Photo: Reuters Iran has long insisted its nuclear programme is for civilian purposes only. The UN nuclear watchdog concluded this week that it was in violation of its obligations under the global non-proliferation treaty. US President Donald Trump said it was not too late for Tehran to halt the Israeli bombing campaign by reaching a deal on its nuclear programme. Tehran had been engaged in talks with the Trump administration on a deal to curb its nuclear programme to replace one that Trump abandoned in 2018. Tehran rejected the last US offer. - Reuters
Barnama
2 hours ago
- Barnama
Iran Launches Second Wave Of Strikes On Israel, Explosions Reported
Missiles launched from Iran are seen from Jerusalem, June 13, 2025. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun TEHRAN, June 14 (Bernama-IRNA) -- Iran has launched a second round of strikes on targets inside Israel, with Israeli media reporting huge explosions as missiles rain down, Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported. Reports say missiles were launched from the capital, Tehran, and Kermanshah in western Iran towards targets deep inside Israel. Iran began retaliatory strikes on Israeli targets on Friday evening local time, after Israeli aggression targeted locations, including residential buildings, inside Iran. bootstrap slideshow Vivid images and footage captured by Israelis show Iranian missiles exploding upon impact and creating massive fireballs. A senior Iranian military official, General Ahmad Vahidi, said 'Operation True Promise 3' — as the Iranian retaliatory strikes are dubbed — will continue for as long as necessary. Overnight on Friday, the Israeli regime began a series of military strikes in and around the Iranian capital, Tehran, as well as other Iranian cities. Simultaneously, and anticipating a devastating Iranian response, Israeli Minister for Military Affairs Israel Katz declared a state of emergency across Israel. The Israeli military also carried out targeted strikes against Iran's top military brass. Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff of Iran's Armed Forces, Major General Mohammad Baqeri, and Chief Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), Major General Hossein Salami, were killed in Tehran. Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei appointed new top military commanders on the same day. According to Iran's Envoy to the United Nations, Sa'eed Iravani, 78 people, including senior military officials, have been killed and 320 injured so far in Israeli strikes.
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Govt seeks foreign investors for seawall project
Foreign investors are invited for Indonesia's plan to build a US$80bil (RM338bil) seawall hundreds of kilometres long to prevent floods along the north coast of its most populous island Java, President Prabowo Subianto said. The seawall project expands on a 2014 plan by the capital Jakarta's government to protect the city from rising sea levels and land subsidence that have caused frequent flooding along the north Java coast. Prabowo said he would form an agency to run the giant seawall project, stretching from Banten to East Java provinces and which could take 20 years to complete. 'One of the most vital infrastructure projects, which is a mega project, that we need to do promptly is the giant seawall across the northern Java coast,' Prabowo said in a speech at an infrastructure event. '(Sea) waters have threatened the lives of our people,' he said, citing some towns in central Java. Sea levels along Indonesian coasts rose an average of 4.25mm annually from 1992 to 2024, but the rate has accelerated in recent years due to climate change, according to the country's Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysical Agency. Experts say Jakarta is sinking due to excessive extraction of groundwater, leading the central government to plan its move to a new capital in the jungles of Borneo island. — Reuters
