The Czech Justice Minister, Pavel Blazek, resigned after receiving harsh criticism for allowing a Bitcoin donation to his ministry, which was later sold for around 1 billion koruna ($45 million).
A report claims the fund was sent by a drug trafficker, leading people to worry about ethics and liability in getting involved with crypto from a crime. Though he had defended what he did, Blazek stepped down on Friday and cited not wanting the reputation of the government or the ruling coalition to suffer.
Blazek said in a statement posted to the social media platform X, “I’m not aware of any illegal actions. However, I don’t want to damage the reputation of the government, nor the governing coalition.”
Blazek announced before that it was unclear whether the Bitcoin donation was linked to any illegal activities. Still, Czech television has reported that those funds are allegedly tied to a convicted criminal, which has sparked greater attention and inquiries. As a result, the state has begun an investigation into what happened.
Prime Minister Petr Fiala, whose coalition is behind the opposition in survey results before the scheduled October election. He expressed his belief that Blazek acted with good intentions. Still, he praised the minister for deciding to resign, saying it was the right choice given the situation.
More pressure has been placed on the Fiala Government after this registration, as they try to recover the trust of the public in the face of controversy.
