Czech Minister of Justice resigns after selling $45 million in Bitcoin gifts from prisoners

Czech Minister of Justice Pavel Blazek resigned on May 30 after selling about $45 million in Bitcoin (BTC) in Bitcoin (BTC) donated by a man convicted of drug trafficking.

According to Local media coveragethe condition wallet received over 480 BTC. Authorities quickly settled a near Czech Koruna worth more than $45 million, culling revenue from victim compensation and prison equipment.

The donation has led opposition lawmakers to question the validity of receiving assets from former offenders. Additionally, police have begun an investigation into the source of the coins and the circumstances in which the ministry accepted them.

A few hours after the investigation began, Blazek decided to resign from his tenure, which began in December 2021. On the X-Post on May 30th, He said:

“After agreeing with Prime Minister Petr Fiara, I have decided to resign from my position as Minister of Justice. I am unaware of illegal activities. But I do not want to undermine the reputation of the government or the coalition of governance.”

Tomáš Jizyikovský donated the amount to Bitcoin. Jichikovský was arrested in 2016 for running an illegal online market for drugs and drugs, and later served for four years in embezzlement and drug trafficking.

Minister defends the deal

Blažek told reporters on May 29 that donations would comply with Czech laws and could be considered compensation from the donor.

He claimed:

“Why are convicted people not allowed to give something to the state, for example, as a form of repentance?”

Additionally, the Minister of Justice referred to laws that allow the government to accept property after liquidating the confiscation of a court order.

The state broadcaster, T24, reported that Prime Minister Petr Fiara also viewed the transfer as legal.

The Prime Minister’s Office said it will name the interim minister and wait for a police investigation before deciding on how to allocate proceeds for the auction. The Justice Department has vowed to fully cooperate with investigators.