Czech justice minister quits after accepting US$44m in bitcoins from ex--drug dealer, insists ‘not aware of any unlawful acts'
PRAGUE, May 31 — Czech Justice Minister Pavel Blazek said yesterday he would step down after coming under fire for accepting almost a billion Czech koruna (RM187 million) in bitcoins from a drug dealer.
Blazek's ministry received the money from a man who had served four years in prison for embezzlement, drug trafficking and the illegal possession of a gun until 2021.
It received the cryptocurrency this year and sold it for Czech korunas in auctions, Blazek said.
The origin of the money is unknown but Blazek said courts never proved it came from any criminal activity.
'I am not aware of any unlawful acts. But I don't want to tarnish the reputation of the governing coalition,' he said on X yesterday.
Police are investigating the donation over a suspected abuse of power and money laundering.
Blazek, 56, is a member of the right-wing Civic Democratic Party of Prime Minister Petr Fiala, who leads a centre-right governing coalition formed after a 2021 election.
The opposition called on Blazek to resign after news about the gift appeared on Wednesday.
Fiala said on X he was convinced that Blazek had acted 'in good faith' and appreciated his resignation as a 'responsible step'.
The Czech Republic, an EU and Nato member of 10.9 million people, is bracing for a general election scheduled for October 3 and 4.
The opposition ANO movement of billionaire ex-premier Andrej Babis is tipped to win as its backing in polls tops 30 per cent, way ahead of Fiala's second-placed Civic Democrats with some 20 per cent. — AFP
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