Czech government faces no-confidence vote over bitcoin scandal

PRAGUE (Reuters) -The main Czech opposition party on Thursday called a no-confidence vote in the government, accusing it of corruption over the acceptance of a payment to the state by an ex-convict worth $45 million in bitcoin.

The vote, scheduled to take place on Tuesday, is likely to fail as the government has a majority in parliament - but it could still dent the ruling centre-right coalition's chances in an October 3-4 election in which it trails the opposition.

Political veteran Pavel Blazek resigned as justice minister on May 31 for accepting the payment for the state, though he denied doing anything illegal.

Opposition groups including the ANO party led by former prime minister Andrej Babis have called on Prime Minister Petr Fiala to quit and said the payment was evidence of corruption.

"We have no choice," ANO vice-chair Alena Schillerova said on X after filing the no-confidence motion.

The man who made the donation of 468 bitcoins to the state was in jail from 2017 until 2021 after being convicted of involvement in the drug trade, fraud and illegal possession of weapons.

Blazek has faced criticism for possibly legitimising the ex-convict's assets, instead of turning to prosecutors or police to help secure them.

Opinion polls show Babis's ANO party with a clear lead over the main group in the government coalition led by Fiala's ODS party.

(Reporting by Jason Hovet; Editing by Andrew Heavens)