The Czech Republic’s main opposition party has called for a no-confidence vote against the government, alleging corruption linked to a $45 million Bitcoin transaction involving a convicted criminal.
Alena Schillerová, vice chair of the right-wing ANO party, announced on X Thursday that her party had “no choice” but to file the no-confidence motion, which is set to be debated on Tuesday.
The controversy centers around a May 28 statement from the Czech Justice Ministry, which revealed it had auctioned off nearly 500 Bitcoin—worth 1 billion Czech koruna ($45 million)—that had been confiscated from Tomáš Jirákovský. Jirákovský, who operated an online black market, was convicted in 2017 of embezzlement, drug trafficking, and weapons offenses.
Czech Opposition Demands Investigation into Bitcoin Donation
Since the Bitcoin sale, the ANO party has called for an investigation into the Justice Ministry’s actions and has requested details on who authorized the transaction.
In a Thursday post, ANO questioned whether the origin of the Bitcoin was properly “legally vetted” before the auction. The party also claimed that the auction winners are now “demanding their money back” and are seeking answers on “what sources will be used to cover the compensation.”
Justice Minister Resigns Amid Scandal
Czech Justice Minister Pavel Blazek resigned on May 30 amid growing pressure over the scandal, though he denied any wrongdoing. He stated that his resignation was aimed at safeguarding the government’s reputation ahead of the upcoming October election.
On Tuesday, President Petr Pavel appointed Eva Decroix as the new justice minister. Decroix pledged to launch an independent investigation into the ministry’s handling of the Bitcoin sale.
Since taking office, Decroix has stated that the Ministry of Justice, under her leadership, will “fully cooperate with the investigation into the donation case.”
Global Leaders Face Scrutiny Over Crypto Dealings
Argentinian President Javier Milei has come under fire for a post on X promoting the Libertad project’s Solana-based token, Libra (LIBRA), which surged to a $4.56 billion market cap on February 14. After Milei deleted the post, the token’s value plummeted by over 94%, sparking accusations of a pump-and-dump scheme. However, Argentina’s anti-corruption office cleared Milei of any misconduct in a June 5 resolution, stating that he acted in a personal capacity and did not breach federal ethics rules for public officials.
In the United States, President Donald Trump is also facing scrutiny over his crypto-related activities. On May 7, Democratic lawmakers launched a coordinated effort to investigate his crypto ventures, introducing two bills and initiating a subcommittee inquiry aimed at limiting his ability to profit from them.
