06/02/1997
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Republika

6 February 1997

80 million dollars for Xhaferri from Germany

The “Populli” coefficient unchecked. Banks refuse to distribute. 2,000 fewer clients companies: Make us a bank so that we can guarantee deposits. We will not close even when the IMF arrives PD goes hand in hand with those who lost money in “Gjallica” Page 3 Tirana: Bricks and mortar instead of money Page 2 Foundational documents of "Xhaferri" found. SHIK knew his story as early as April 30, ’96 Page 7

The state hides its head like an ostrich

The government must publicly admit that it is guilty in the eyes of its own citizens The Albanian government is failing to reach an understanding with its own citizens because it has still not found the language of understanding. Perhaps the state should insist more on applying that word from the Albanian dictionary (so overused in politicians’ rhetoric) called transparency. This is not a matter of imitating the governments of the time we have left behind, making decisions in the name of the people’s will, but the opposite must not happen either. How can you make decisions about someone else’s money when you have previously declared, “What do I care where Albanians put their money?” If you stand by this statement, you must not take actions that contradict it. This does not befit the dignity of our Democratic Government. Settling accounts over the pyramid schemes cannot be done with the slogan, “we did all we could.” This statement is not very responsible. The people have experienced the opposite: this Government not only made no effort whatsoever to stop the pyramids at their inception, but on the contrary encouraged them by licensing them, protecting them, burying complaints in drawers, etc. How can our state claim to have cleared its name before its citizens when it made even the state media available to the pyramid firms? The large company “Gallica” kept alive the state’s cultural activities that had not been privatized. This company sponsored not only activities in the country, but also European ones. “Miss Europe,” for example, was one such event. The handsome sum the company gave to the English beauty went to the Miss. It was this same state that turned a blind eye and a deaf ear to the advertisements that took over TV screens and radio microphones, not forgetting the pages of newspapers known as mouthpieces of the Government itself. Our state cannot hide beneath the short blanket: “Pyramid schemes are phenomena that also operate in developed capitalist countries, let alone here, where we are taking the first steps in this system.” It is true that they operate in the capitalist world, but this is not enough to justify the corrupt practices reflected in Albania. First of all, in Albania this phenomenon appeared in a highly unique way: almost the entire population was involved, and even the names of dead people can be found on the foundations’ lists. Secondly, our state of its own citizens. At the very least, it should admit that it did not tell the people: don’t get involved in pyramid schemes, or you’ll get burned! The state’s concealment of the truth is like an ostrich burying its head in the sand and forgetting that its body is still outside.

Vlora and Kukësi weep over Gjallica’s corpse

— Page 3

Notice to district newspaper sellers

All sellers of the newspaper “REPUBLIKA” in the districts must pay the amounts due from sales of this newspaper in lekë through the “Press-Albania” transport agency (not through the bank), starting from January 4, 1997. Along with the money, unsold copies from each day must also be handed in (only the masthead and date of the newspaper). The newspaper’s editorial office