TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Albania’s parliament has fired the country’s central bank governor, following his recent arrest after millions of dollars from the bank’s reserves went missing.
Lawmakers voted 72-6 to discharge Ardian Fullani, after the bank’s executive board argued he had “posed a grave threat to the bank’s interests.”
Fullani, who had been serving his second, seven-year term since being appointed in 2004, was charged with abuse of office after 713 million leks ($6.5 million) of the bank’s money was discovered to be missing in July.
He was jailed earlier this month and later moved to house arrest.
Seventeen other central bank employees have also been arrested. Fullani denies any wrongdoing, and has not been accused of personally profiting from the theft. Bank executive Elisabeta Gjoni is currently acting governor.
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