Eva Decroix, Vice-President of the Civic Democratic Party (ODS), is set to become the new Minister of Justice today, replacing Pavel Blažek, who resigned following controversy surrounding a donation of bitcoins to the ministry. President Petr Pavel will formally appoint Decroix, and Prime Minister Petr Fiala, who also leads the ODS, will participate in the ceremony. The Czech News Agency will provide a live broadcast of the appointment from 12:10 p.m. Although the Cabinet has seen several personnel changes over the past three and a half years, this marks the first ministerial replacement for the ODS during the current term. On Monday, President Pavel met with Decroix for approximately 30 minutes. They discussed the bitcoin donation, worth roughly one billion crowns, which was accepted by the Ministry of Justice. The donation originated from Tomáš Jiřikovský, who was sentenced in 2017 for crimes including embezzlement, drug trafficking, and illegal arms trading. Blažek had defended the ministry’s acceptance of the bitcoins, stating that the transaction was not illegal and that it had not been proven the funds came from criminal activity. He also rejected claims that the donation amounted to money laundering. Decroix has announced plans to commission an independent audit of the ministry’s procedures and regulatory framework. An external firm will conduct the review, with results expected to be made public by the end of August, ahead of the parliamentary elections. She also plans to present a detailed timeline of the case to the government and will propose the formation of an expert group to identify systemic measures for handling new technologies and cryptocurrencies. Additionally, Decroix intends to appoint an independent coordinator from the judiciary to ensure transparent communication about the matter. Source: CTK Photo: ODS