On May 30, 2025, Czech Justice Minister Pavel Blažek resigned from office after facing intense public criticism for accepting and auctioning off 480 Bitcoins — roughly valued at $45 million — which had been donated to the ministry by Tomáš Jiřikovský, a convicted drug trafficker.

The ministry disclosed on social media that it had raised about 1 billion Czech koruna from the auction. According to the ministry, the proceeds were to be used to fund several public initiatives, including the digitization of the justice system, anti-drug programs in prisons, and improvements to prison staff living conditions.

The scandal erupted when local media reported that the source of the donation was Jiřikovský, who had been convicted in 2017 for operating the darknet drug marketplace "Sheep Marketplace" and for other crimes including theft and firearms violations. After serving his sentence and being released in 2021, Jiřikovský made efforts to recover around 1,500 Bitcoins that had been seized during his arrest.

In March 2025, Jiřikovský’s lawyer contacted the ministry and offered approximately one-third of the seized amount as a donation, claiming the funds had been obtained legally. Authorities had previously linked the cryptocurrency to another now-defunct darknet marketplace, "Nucleus."

Minister Blažek admitted that no steps were taken to verify the origin of the funds. During a press conference on May 29, he stated, “I have no way of investigating this matter, and frankly, I wasn’t interested after so many years.” He went on to suggest that Jiřikovský’s donation might have been an attempt at redemption for his past actions.

Czech police have since opened an investigation into whether accepting and liquidating the donation may have unintentionally legitimized proceeds of criminal activity. Amid the growing controversy, Prime Minister Petr Fiala publicly distanced himself from Blažek, who ultimately stepped down just months before the upcoming parliamentary elections.

The Prime Minister’s office announced that an interim minister would be appointed. Officials also stated that any decisions regarding the use of the auction proceeds would be postponed until the completion of the police investigation.

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