Parliament sacks Supreme Court judge Valeriu Arhip

Parliament on Wednesday voted to dismiss Valeriu Arhip from the post of judge of the Supreme Court of Justice, on a proposal by the Superior Council of Magistracy, Info-Prim Neo reports. After the Security and Intelligence Service (SIS) revealed that Valeriu Arhip's family owned property that was deemed hidden from public view, the Superior Council of Magistracy declared Arhip incompatible with the job. In reaction, the judge tendered his resignation, but changed his mind shortly, asking the Council to review the decision. On October 30, the Council upheld it, proposing Parliament to dismiss Arhip. Arhip claimed that the assets owned by his family and which had been deemed secreted were included in his conflicts of interest statement as well as in the SIS questionnaire. He admitted that he had failed to include his wife's salary, which according to him was merely 15,000 lei per year. Valeriu Arhip has been a member of the Bench since 1991.