Albania Constitutional Court judge fired, not proving income

TIRANA, Albania – A judge on Albania's Constitutional Court has been released from duty after not being able to justify his income to a vetting commission checking his personal and professional background.

Friday's decision to let Judge Fatos Lulo go is the first for the Independent Commission of Evaluation that has started vetting some 800 judges and prosecutors to root out bribery and ensure they are independent from politics.

Lulo's lawyer said he would appeal the verdict.

Unanimously passed by parliament two years ago, the reform aims to fight the judicial corruption that has plagued post-communist Albania, hampering its democratic growth.

Albania, a NATO member since 2009, was granted EU candidate status in 2014 and hopes to launch negotiations later this year on becoming a member of the bloc.