Latest news with #Fiala
3 days ago
- Politics
Czech justice minister resigns over a donated bitcoin scandal
PRAGUE -- Czech Republic Justice Minister Pavel Blažek resigned from his post over a bitcoin-related scandal on Friday. Blažek was under fire from the opposition after his ministry accepted a donation of bitcoins and sold them for about 1 billion Czech koruna (more than $45 million) earlier this year. Blažek said that he wasn't aware of any wrongdoing, but didn't want the four-party coalition government led by Prime Minister Petr Fiala to be harmed by the scandal. Fiala said that he appreciated his resignation and believed that Blažek acted with goodwill. Blažek was a close ally of Fiala in the government, and also in his conservative Civic Democratic Party. It's not clear who might replace him. The issue focused on the fact that the bitcoins were donated to the ministry by a person who was previously convicted of drug dealing and other crimes. The opposition has accused Blažek of possible money laundering, because it wasn't clear where the bitcoins came from. It was also not clear why the person donated the bitcoins to the ministry. The issue has been investigated by the police organized crime unit. The scandal took place just months before the Oct 3-4 parliamentary election. The main opposition ANO (YES) party led by former populist Prime Minister Andrej Babiš is predicted to win the vote.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Czech justice minister resigns over a donated bitcoin scandal
PRAGUE (AP) — Czech Republic Justice Minister Pavel Blažek resigned from his post over a bitcoin-related scandal on Friday. Blažek was under fire from the opposition after his ministry accepted a donation of bitcoins and sold them for about 1 billion Czech koruna (more than $45 million) earlier this year. Blažek said that he wasn't aware of any wrongdoing, but didn't want the four-party coalition government led by Prime Minister Petr Fiala to be harmed by the scandal. Fiala said that he appreciated his resignation and believed that Blažek acted with goodwill. Blažek was a close ally of Fiala in the government, and also in his conservative Civic Democratic Party. It's not clear who might replace him. The issue focused on the fact that the bitcoins were donated to the ministry by a person who was previously convicted of drug dealing and other crimes. The opposition has accused Blažek of possible money laundering, because it wasn't clear where the bitcoins came from. It was also not clear why the person donated the bitcoins to the ministry. The issue has been investigated by the police organized crime unit. The scandal took place just months before the Oct 3-4 parliamentary election. The main opposition ANO (YES) party led by former populist Prime Minister Andrej Babiš is predicted to win the vote.
Winnipeg Free Press
3 days ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Czech justice minister resigns over a donated bitcoin scandal
PRAGUE (AP) — Czech Republic Justice Minister Pavel Blažek resigned from his post over a bitcoin-related scandal on Friday. Blažek was under fire from the opposition after his ministry accepted a donation of bitcoins and sold them for about 1 billion Czech koruna (more than $45 million) earlier this year. Blažek said that he wasn't aware of any wrongdoing, but didn't want the four-party coalition government led by Prime Minister Petr Fiala to be harmed by the scandal. Fiala said that he appreciated his resignation and believed that Blažek acted with goodwill. Blažek was a close ally of Fiala in the government, and also in his conservative Civic Democratic Party. It's not clear who might replace him. The issue focused on the fact that the bitcoins were donated to the ministry by a person who was previously convicted of drug dealing and other crimes. The opposition has accused Blažek of possible money laundering, because it wasn't clear where the bitcoins came from. It was also not clear why the person donated the bitcoins to the ministry. The issue has been investigated by the police organized crime unit. The scandal took place just months before the Oct 3-4 parliamentary election. The main opposition ANO (YES) party led by former populist Prime Minister Andrej Babiš is predicted to win the vote.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Czech Republic cools on near-term move of Israel embassy to Jerusalem
PRAGUE (Reuters) -The Czech Republic will move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem "at the right moment", Prime Minister Petr Fiala said on Thursday, cooling the likelihood of a near-term move that the government had signalled after the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel. The Czech Republic has been a strong ally of Israel on the international scene, at times breaking ranks with EU allies in United Nations votes on Middle East affairs. After the October 2023 attack, Fiala said the embassy move to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv could come in a matter of months, but on Thursday he indicated the move was some way off. "Let's make it clear: The Czech Republic will move the embassy, because it is right, the question is not if but when," Fiala told a hearing in the upper house of the Czech parliament. He said the move should come at a time when Israel is not in a state of war with Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza, and ideally when the Abraham Accords, a series of normalisation agreements between Israel and Arab nations, are widened to include more partners. "Let's be a little patient, but at the same time ready to make this step as soon as the right moment arrives." The Czech Republic opened a diplomatic office in Jerusalem in 2021, a step that drew protests from the Palestinian Authority and the Arab League. It would be the second NATO country to move its embassy to Jerusalem after the United States, which did so in 2018 under the first Trump administration. It would be the first European Union state to move its embassy. Israel's government regards Jerusalem as the eternal and indivisible capital of the country, although that is not recognised internationally. Palestinians want East Jerusalem - which Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war and later annexed in a move not recognised internationally - as the capital of a future Palestinian state.
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
Czech Republic cools on near-term move of Israel embassy to Jerusalem
PRAGUE - The Czech Republic will move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem "at the right moment", Prime Minister Petr Fiala said on Thursday, cooling the likelihood of a near-term move that the government had signalled after the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel. The Czech Republic has been a strong ally of Israel on the international scene, at times breaking ranks with EU allies in United Nations votes on Middle East affairs. After the October 2023 attack, Fiala said the embassy move to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv could come in a matter of months, but on Thursday he indicated the move was some way off. "Let's make it clear: The Czech Republic will move the embassy, because it is right, the question is not if but when," Fiala told a hearing in the upper house of the Czech parliament. He said the move should come at a time when Israel is not in a state of war with Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza, and ideally when the Abraham Accords, a series of normalisation agreements between Israel and Arab nations, are widened to include more partners. "Let's be a little patient, but at the same time ready to make this step as soon as the right moment arrives." The Czech Republic opened a diplomatic office in Jerusalem in 2021, a step that drew protests from the Palestinian Authority and the Arab League. It would be the second NATO country to move its embassy to Jerusalem after the United States, which did so in 2018 under the first Trump administration. It would be the first European Union state to move its embassy. Israel's government regards Jerusalem as the eternal and indivisible capital of the country, although that is not recognised internationally. Palestinians want East Jerusalem - which Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war and later annexed in a move not recognised internationally - as the capital of a future Palestinian state. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
