PRAGUE (AP) – On Tuesday, Czech President Petr Pavel made a commitment to the newly appointed Minister of Justice.
Pavel selected Eva Decroix after his predecessor, Pavel Brazic, resigned from his position on May 30th. He faced criticism from the opposition after his ministry accepted a Bitcoin donation and subsequently sold it, netting nearly 46 million Czech koruna earlier this year.
Brazic asserted he had no knowledge of any fraudulent activity but wanted to protect the integrity of the four-party coalition government led by Prime Minister Petr Fiara from the fallout. Fiara expressed gratitude for his resignation, stating he believed Brazic acted with integrity.
Brazic was a close ally of the government and a member of the conservative Civil Democrat party, of which Decroix is also a part.
Decroix indicated she would initiate an independent investigation into the ministry’s actions regarding the donation.
“The public’s trust in governmental agencies is on the line,” Pavel remarked.
The controversy centers around the fact that the Bitcoin was donated by individuals previously convicted of drug trafficking and other offenses.
Opposition parties have raised alarms over potential money laundering due to the ambiguous origins of the Bitcoin. They plan to call for a government-wide resignation and a potential parliamentary vote of no confidence, likely set for late June.
The National Police Organized Crime Division is currently looking into the matter.
This scandal emerges just months before the parliamentary elections scheduled for October 3-4, where the main opposition party, led by former populist Prime Minister Andrej Babis, is expected to gain significant support.
Source: apnews.com