Czech Police Arrest Key Figure in Bitcoin Donation Scandal – Seize Millions in Assets

The Czech Republic witnessed a dramatic turn on Thursday in one of the most significant political-criminal cases in recent years. The National Centre for Combating Organized Crime conducted raids that led to the arrest of Tomáš Jiříkovský – a convicted drug trafficker and the central figure in the scandal over hundreds of bitcoins donated to the Ministry of Justice. The investigation, now led by the High Public Prosecutor’s Office in Olomouc, focuses on suspected money laundering and illegal drug trafficking. The case has been separated from a broader probe revealed in May to speed up actions against the suspects and their assets.

The Donation That Shook the Government According to reports, Jiříkovský was the man who, earlier this year, donated 468 bitcoins – worth approximately $45 million at the time – to the Ministry of Justice. The donation was accepted by then-Minister Pavel Blažek without verifying its origin. It later emerged that the funds came from a man with a dark past – a convicted darknet operator who had served time for drug trafficking. When the affair came to light, Blažek resigned in May. His successor, Eva Decroix, commissioned an audit that confirmed the ministry should never have accepted the donation due to the high risk it was the proceeds of crime.

Political Turmoil and Next Steps The scandal escalated in June into a vote of no confidence in Prime Minister Petr Fiala’s government, which the cabinet narrowly survived. The opposition ANO movement has since demanded the resignation of other ministers, including Finance Minister Zbyněk Stanjura. Prosecutors say the current police operation is focused not only on uncovering the full chain of transactions but also on securing individuals and seizing assets. How much of Jiříkovský’s valuable property has been confiscated remains undisclosed – investigators are keeping quiet to avoid jeopardizing the ongoing proceedings. Decroix has promised to release an expanded timeline of the case later this week, containing over 8,000 records. With parliamentary elections coming in October, pressure on the government is expected to intensify.

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