Czech Republic’s Justice Minister, Pavel Blazek, has stepped down amid growing backlash over the sale of nearly $45 million worth of Bitcoin donated by a convicted drug trafficker. The resignation, announced on May 30, follows a police investigation into the source of the cryptocurrency and mounting political pressure just months ahead of national elections. The scandal erupted after the Justice Ministry announced on May 28 via X that it had auctioned off 500 Bitcoin, raising almost 1 billion Czech koruna (approximately $45 million). The funds were intended for projects such as improving prison infrastructure, digitizing the justice system, and reducing drug use in correctional facilities. However, a report by local media outlet Denik N revealed that the cryptocurrency came from Tomas Jirikovsky — the operator of Sheep Marketplace, a dark web platform infamous for hosting illicit drug and weapons sales. Jirikovsky, convicted in 2017, served time for crimes including embezzlement and drug trafficking. Bitcoin ‘Gift’ Raises Eyes on Czech Justice Minister The controversy intensified after it emerged that Blazek accepted the donation without verifying its origin. Jirikovsky’s lawyer had approached the ministry in March, offering one-third of his remaining Bitcoin holdings as a donation. Blazek, defending his decision, claimed he had “no way to investigate the matter” and assumed it was an act of repentance. “I wasn’t interested so many years after the case,” Blazek told reporters at a press conference. “It was his decision to make amends.” The public, however, reacted sharply to the perceived negligence. Opposition leaders branded the move a scandal, criticizing the lack of due diligence in accepting cryptocurrency from a known criminal. Police have now opened an investigation into the true origin of the Bitcoin. Jirikovsky has reportedly been trying to reclaim 1,500 Bitcoin seized at the time of his arrest. Although authorities suspected his crypto holdings were linked to other dark web operations like Nucleus, the court ultimately ruled he could keep the coins after his release in 2021 due to insufficient proof of illegality. Blazek Steps Down as Crypto Rules Take Shape As the political fallout grew, Prime Minister Petr Fiala distanced himself from Blazek, a long-time ally. To preserve the government’s credibility, Blazek announced his resignation. “I am not aware of any illegal action. However, I do not wish to damage the reputation of the government,” he said in a statement. His resignation comes at a time when Czechia is beginning to define its crypto policy framework. In February, President Petr Pavel signed into law new cryptocurrency regulations aligned with the European Union’s MiCA guidelines. The law aims to clarify taxation and promote innovation in the blockchain sector, signaling Czech’s forward-looking approach to digital assets . The post Czech Justice Minister Resigns After Accepting Bitcoin from Convicted Criminal appeared first on TheCoinrise.com .
