Czech Justice Minister Resigns Over $45M Bitcoin Donation Scandal
The post Czech Justice Minister Resigns Over $45M Bitcoin Donation Scandal appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com. Czech Justice Minister Pavel Blazek has stepped down following a scandal over his ministry’s sale of nearly $45 million worth of Bitcoin donated by a convicted drug trafficker. The controversy erupted on May 28 after the ministry posted on X that it had raised close to 1 billion Czech koruna (approximately $45 million) by auctioning off nearly 500 Bitcoin (BTC). The funds were earmarked for projects such as digitizing the justice system, combating drug use in prisons, and improving housing for prison staff. However, Czech news outlet Denik N revealed that the cryptocurrency came from Tomas Jirikovsky, a convicted criminal behind Sheep Marketplace, a dark web platform notorious for selling illegal goods. Source: Ministerstvo spravedlnosti ČR Related: Czech to explore new assets, skips Bitcoin as $7B BTC reserve faces criticism Czech minister accepts Bitcoin donation In March, Jirikovsky’s lawyer approached Blazek, offering one-third of the Bitcoin as a donation to the Justice Ministry. Blazek accepted without probing the cryptocurrency’s origins. “I have no way to investigate the matter, and I wasn’t interested so many years after the case,” he said at a Thursday press conference, suggesting the donation reflected Jirikovsky’s desire to “repent.” However, public outcry grew over the transaction’s lack of due diligence. Opposition leaders labeled it a scandal, and police have now launched an investigation into the Bitcoin’s origins. Jirikovsky was sentenced in 2017 for embezzlement, drug trafficking, and weapons violations. Since being released from prison in 2021, he has been seeking to reclaim 1,500 Bitcoin seized at the time of his arrest. During his trial, Czech authorities suspected the funds were linked to Nucleus, another dark web marketplace shuttered just after Jirikovsky’s arrest. Despite this, he maintained the Bitcoin was acquired legally, which allowed him to retain it after serving his sentence. Related: Czech National Bank governor to propose…
The post Czech Justice Minister Resigns Over $45M Bitcoin Donation Scandal appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com.
Czech Justice Minister Pavel Blazek has stepped down following a scandal over his ministry’s sale of nearly $45 million worth of Bitcoin donated by a convicted drug trafficker. The controversy erupted on May 28 after the ministry posted on X that it had raised close to 1 billion Czech koruna (approximately $45 million) by auctioning off nearly 500 Bitcoin (BTC). The funds were earmarked for projects such as digitizing the justice system, combating drug use in prisons, and improving housing for prison staff. However, Czech news outlet Denik N revealed that the cryptocurrency came from Tomas Jirikovsky, a convicted criminal behind Sheep Marketplace, a dark web platform notorious for selling illegal goods. Source: Ministerstvo spravedlnosti ČR Related: Czech to explore new assets, skips Bitcoin as $7B BTC reserve faces criticism Czech minister accepts Bitcoin donation In March, Jirikovsky’s lawyer approached Blazek, offering one-third of the Bitcoin as a donation to the Justice Ministry. Blazek accepted without probing the cryptocurrency’s origins. “I have no way to investigate the matter, and I wasn’t interested so many years after the case,” he said at a Thursday press conference, suggesting the donation reflected Jirikovsky’s desire to “repent.” However, public outcry grew over the transaction’s lack of due diligence. Opposition leaders labeled it a scandal, and police have now launched an investigation into the Bitcoin’s origins. Jirikovsky was sentenced in 2017 for embezzlement, drug trafficking, and weapons violations. Since being released from prison in 2021, he has been seeking to reclaim 1,500 Bitcoin seized at the time of his arrest. During his trial, Czech authorities suspected the funds were linked to Nucleus, another dark web marketplace shuttered just after Jirikovsky’s arrest. Despite this, he maintained the Bitcoin was acquired legally, which allowed him to retain it after serving his sentence. Related: Czech National Bank governor to propose…
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