Justice Ministry publishes timeline in bitcoin case

The Ministry of Justice has released a detailed timeline of the controversial bitcoin case that led to the resignation of former justice minister Pavel Blažek. The 27-page document, presented to the cabinet on Wednesday by Justice Minister Eva Decroix, charts the case from April 2015 to the present but omits specific names. Compiled by the ministry’s internal audit department, the timeline draws on 122 official documents and their extensive annexes. The report is part of the government’s effort to clarify the circumstances surrounding a multi-billion-crown bitcoin donation from Tomáš Jiřikovský, a man convicted of convicted of drug trafficking, embezzlement, and illegal arms possession.

According to the ministry, the first documented contact between Jiřikovský’s lawyer and ministry officials occurred on August 18, 2023. In an email, the lawyer proposed potential cooperation. The timeline further notes that on January 30, then justice minister Blažek sent Finance Minister Zbyněk Stanjura a letter requesting a personal meeting, enclosing court decisions related to Jiřikovský.

Minister Decroix has also asked other institutions, including the Finance Ministry, to provide relevant documents. These will be gradually added to the timeline.