PRAGUE — Czech President Petr Pavel swore in a new justice minister on Tuesday, one other step in a political disaster attributable to a bitcoin-related scandal.
Pavel appointed Eva Decroix after her predecessor Pavel Blažek resigned from the submit on Could 30. He was below hearth from the opposition as a result of his ministry accepted a donation of bitcoins and offered them for nearly 1 billion Czech koruna ($46 million) earlier this 12 months.
Blažek mentioned that he wasn’t conscious of any wrongdoing, however didn’t need the four-party coalition authorities led by Prime Minister Petr Fiala to be harmed by the scandal. Fiala mentioned that he appreciated his resignation and believed that Blažek acted with goodwill.
Blažek was a shut ally of Fiala within the authorities and likewise in his conservative Civic Democratic Social gathering. The new minister is from the identical get together.
Decroix mentioned she is going to order an unbiased probe into the ministry’s actions within the case.
“The general public belief within the establishments and the state is at stake,” Pavel mentioned.
The problem targeted on the truth that the bitcoins have been donated to the ministry by a one who was beforehand convicted of drug dealing and different crimes whereas it was not clear why he did it.
The opposition has accused Blažek of doable cash laundering, as a result of it wasn’t clear the place the bitcoins originated.
The opposition events demand the resignation of the whole authorities and are planning to request a parliamentary no-confidence vote. It may happen later in June.
The problem has been investigated by the nationwide police’s organized crime unit.
The scandal is going down simply months earlier than the Oct 3-4 parliamentary election. The principle opposition ANO (YES) get together led by former populist Prime Minister Andrej Babiš is predicted to win the vote.
