Today, the Independent Qualification Commission (KPK) dismissed High Court judge Shkëlzen Selimi.
The judicial body consisting of Xhensila Pine, Etleda Çiftja, and Valbona Sanxhaktari announced the ruling, following an administrative investigation into Selimi.
The investigation concluded that Selimi had connections to suspect persons, especially one F.D., suspected of being involved in drug trafficking, whom Selimi met oftentimes.
Furthermore, the border entry record showed that the judge, more than once, travelled with a citizen that had had previous clashes with the police, and was supposedly awaiting trial in prison.
The National Security Agency (DSIK) made public its suspicions of the judge’s close connections to criminals during Selimi’s vetting hearing. DISK, as well as the International Monitoring Operation (ONM) demanded the dismissal of Selimi, based only on his background check results.
Selimi’s is the first case, to date, in which KPK has conducted an investigation into his background, without looking at his wealth and professional conduct.
Shkëlzen Selimi, known for his handling of the Gërdec case, in which an entire village was levelled after an explosion in a munitions factory, is the fourth member of the High Court to be dismissed, following Admir Thanza, Artan Zeneli, and Tom Ndreca.
Selimi was also one of the two High Court members of the Justice Appointments Council (KED). If his colleague Artan Broci also fails to pass the vetting, a new High Court member of the KED need to be sought.
