Cryptoscandal in Prague. Former minister Pavel Blažek faces charges for bitcoins from a dealer

The police have charged three people in connection with the case of the state accepting bitcoins as a donation, most likely originating from criminal activities. According to media reports, former Justice Minister Pavel Blazek was to be charged.

Apart from the former minister, another ministry official and a lawyer were to be charged with the legalization of income from criminal activities and the abuse of official powers. The charges do not require restriction of liberty.

The case is related to the receipt by the Ministry of Justice of a billion-dollar donation in 2025 from Tomasz Jirzikovski, who was previously convicted of embezzlement, drug trafficking and illegal possession of weapons. The cryptocurrency donation raised questions about the origin of the property, the transparency of the proceedings, and the ethical and moral sides of the state accepting such a gift.

Some commentators believe that the scandal could have contributed to the loss of Petro Fiala's center-right camp in the parliamentary elections. After revealing the details of the bitcoin transaction, Blazek was forced to resign from his position. He also resigned from running in the parliamentary elections and from membership in the Civic Democratic Party (ODS) of Prime Minister Fiala.

From Prague Piotr Górecki (PAP)

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