Justice Ministry joins criminal case against bitcoin donor Jiřikovský

The Czech Justice Ministry announced on Thursday that it will join criminal proceedings against Tomáš Jiřikovský, who is accused of laundering money through cryptocurrency. The ministry, now officially listed as an aggrieved party, said it will quantify its damages at a later stage.

Officials explained that joining the case ensures the ministry’s procedural rights, including access to case updates. They also emphasized that there is no evidence police acted unlawfully when detaining Jiřikovský.

Earlier this year Jiřikovský gifted the ministry—then headed by Pavel Blažek—468 bitcoins, worth roughly one billion crowns. Police arrested him last week, charging him with two counts of money laundering, one of which relates directly to the cryptocurrency donation.