The police are hiding the witness Further arrests for the murder Page 3

Page 11 Turkey pulls off a shocker

By Adrian THANO Today we have a “policeman who exceeds his authority.” This “rogue” policeman will be gone in a few years. It may happen that “political attacks” will make him shirk his responsibilities. It may happen that journalistic crossfire (which is often political attacks too) will dampen his desire to work. It may happen that his victims will take revenge. For one of these reasons, or for all of them together, he will give up. What will remain? There will remain a

forms (include speculators here too) is troubled by something else as well: breaking the law. But before we crucify, in the name of this violated law, the “policeman who exceeds his authority,” let us crucify the policeman who does not exercise his powers at all. Before we crucify this hot-headed policeman, who uses force against lawbreakers, let us crucify the indifferent policeman who changes direction when he sees a crime being committed right before his eyes. Here are the two sides of the coin. Those who receive the punishment they deserve, and all of us are on the road to forgetting. But we do not hesitate at all to “make mincemeat of” those responsible for maintaining Law and Order. Some are showing great zeal in this regard. Are they really so scandalized by a display of violence in this country?! We live in a capital where at least three crimes a day are officially acknowledged, two of them within the family. That is how things are. This does not mean that they too his. Before we crucify this hot-headed police officer, who uses violence against lawbreakers, let us crucify that indifferent police officer before his very who brought Chaos to Albania killed hundreds of innocent people. Those who are bringing Order are beating some of the accused. Most of those responsible for the Chaos have not

The Minister of Public Order, Spartak Poçi, did not voluntarily resign as head of the Tirana branch of the PS. On the contrary, faced with pressure from his leader, Fatos Nano, to relinquish one of his mandates, he wanted to be formally dismissed from his position as branch chairman, having made sure that the Socialists could not touch the post he holds as the head of Public Order. The head of the PS said that the Minister of Public Order has decided not to run again for the post of Tirana chairman at the conference to be held today. Poçi has said that he obeys the party’s decisions, both in his role as chairman and in his role as minister. RODNER [visible writing in the background of the photograph]

Anti-Mafia team in Tirana on a special plane The head of the Italian Anti-Mafia arrives in Albania. Pierluigi Vigna, the “strong hand” in the fight against the Italian mafia, landed last night at Rinas Airport, visiting the country of the Albanians for the third time. At the head of an Anti-Mafia group, Vigna is coming to Albania on a specific mission. He has arrived in Tirana accompanied by his two deputies and several other prosecutors, who will not be mere visitors, but will seek information about the activity in Albania of the Italian mafioso, Xhuzepe Muolo. Page 9

Corruption uncovered, courts under investigation “Corrupt judges will be punished” by the Inspectorate of the KLD, whose inspectors, led by their chief, Dhimitër Prifti, were in the capital yesterday to question the judges. “Corrupt judges will be punished” by the Inspectorate of the KLD, whose inspectors, led by their chief, Dhimitër Prifti, were in the capital yesterday to question judges whose case files showed serious legal violations, at the end of this week. All judges found to have committed violations while hearing cases are expected to be punished. Page 7

REPUBLIKA every day, 24 pages for just 20 lekë

Why are Albanian teenagers taking their own lives? Page 18

New tragedy for migrants in Britain Page 21

New facts about Albanian antiquity Page 22

Drugs: the number of users triples Page 18