Çela: “We are also investigating party funds” The chairman of the State Commission speaks about corruption in Albania CARLO BOLLINO TIRANA — “The aid scandal? You’ll hear of more such cases. We are uncovering other things, new stories. We have not limited ourselves to investigating only the aid provided by Italy in 1991; we have extended our investigation right up to the present day. In particular, we are checking the aid delivered by the European Community and, unfortunately, once again we are finding irregularities.” Blerim Çela speaks, Chairman of the State Audit Commission, the man fighting corruption, the official people fear most and perhaps the most “unpopular” among the people of Albania’s new democratic order. He is the one who tracks down scandals and intrigues amid real, attempted and alleged corruption. And, sometimes, corruption that never happened. He represents no political body, yet he has often been the target of serious accusations, including that he is the government’s investigative instrument. “Those are certainly politically motivated accusations,” Çela replies. “I continue to have only one point of reference: the law. When I investigate, I don’t look anyone in the face. “So if one day they remove me from this job, I would rather people say that I was incompetent than that I was corrupt.” You are being accused of targeting the opposition more, since the aid scandal came to light and you filed a request for criminal proceedings against Fatos Nano. Is that just a coincidence? “I repeat: I investigate in search of corruption. For me, the corrupt have no party: they are corrupt, period. As for the aid, for example, my checks have not been limited to the era of the socialist government; they also cover the current period. The only difference is that during that period the swindles were hushed up; today there is the courage to report them.” What is one of the current frauds you have reported? “For example, the wheat case: 7,600 tons of wheat provided by the European Community were stolen. All those responsible have been handed over to justice.” Have other irregularities in the aid sector been uncovered? “Yes, we have uncovered many. We are completing the audit and within two weeks I will present my conclusions to Parliament.” You also have to investigate the aid in Italy: whom have you met? “I have been cooperating for a long time with Rome prosecutor Evelina Canale, who is conducting an investigation like mine. We exchange many documents. Most recently, I worked with the Corte dei Conti (the equivalent body in Italy) to obtain the list of all supplies provided by the Italian Government.” Let’s leave aid aside. What is the current level of corruption in Albania? “I have heard a lot of talk and investigated a great deal, at every level, but those who steal often know how to steal well and leave no trace. I believe the most sensitive sector today is that of enterprises: many joint-venture companies we have inspected were so irregular that we had to request the termination of their contracts. This also applies to aid to aid provided by the Italian Government.” The foreign party is involved, and this is a sign of corruption. Many of our checks concern above all the tourism sector. Most recently, we asked for the contract to build the tourist village of Ksamil to be annulled.” There is an investigation you are conducting into party financing: is that true? “Yes, we are checking all the funding provided by the State to the various party organizations. We intend to verify whether the funds are being used for their designated purpose.” Have you encountered irregularities? “Yes, but I can’t say more at the moment. I will inform Parliament about this very soon as well. As I told you, we don’t look anyone in the face. Anyone who says that what we do is political activity is wrong. We are solely in the service of the law. And so, when it happens—and it has happened—that we report irregularities to the investigators and then our report receives no follow-up, we certainly do not protest. Everyone must bow before the law, including in order to acknowledge that we were wrong.”

DURRES — “This photo was taken just a few days ago, right at the height of the beach season. The car shown is just one of the many that pass every day in front of the numerous holidaymakers who frequent the beach at Shkëmbi i Kavajës. The new beach, which is crowded this year, especially with residents of Tirana and Durrës, still has no proper parking areas, so cars are parked wherever there is room, in some cases right by the sea. In addition, many motorists, most of them young, prefer to travel from the beach to the city along the seafront, right where pedestrians mingle with the sandcastles. But while the problem is a relative one for adult beachgoers, it is a major concern for children and their parents. It is a holiday spent under the constant threat of cars and often even heavy trucks carrying sand for construction. The question is whether Albania, a country that has based its future on tourism, can tolerate such behavior; intervention by the authorities is awaited. The highway of the sun

Former President: “I am not responsible for the Party’s money”

KRUJË — A 26-year-old young man from the village of Arameras has died in a serious road accident. The young man, who was driving a Zetor tractor transporting a threshing machine, was travelling to the nearby village of Tarinë. On a very difficult stretch of road, the Zetor he was driving suddenly tipped over under the heavy load it was carrying and fell from a great height. The seriously injured young man was immediately given first aid by passers-by and then rushed to the surgical hospital in Tirana. But despite the doctors’ efforts, the young man died a few hours later.

Former President: “I do not answer questions about the Party’s money” Investigation into PPSH financing Ramiz Alia refuses to speak TIRANA — Ramiz Alia, former Albanian president — now under house arrest — is facing a new investigation. It concerns the “solidarity fund” of the PPSH, whose mystery the State Audit Service is currently working to uncover. The Service has asked the Prosecutor’s Office for permission to question Albania’s former number one — after Enver Hoxha’s death — and the Prosecutor’s Office has readily given a positive response. The day before yesterday, in the early hours of the morning, an inspector from the State Audit Service appeared at the home of the Haxhimusaj family, where Alia’s daughter lives and where the former president himself has been serving house arrest for some time. The response was hopeless: “I have no intention of answering questions about the funds of the Party of Labour,” said Ramiz Alia. Nevertheless, other colleagues of Alia’s will also be questioned about this matter — members of the Political Bureau — who are now in Tirana Prison or its hospital. After the first publication in the newspaper of the story of the “solidarity funds,” the State Audit Service began intensive work. Although it is clear — according to specialists — that a large sum did in fact cross the Albanian borders to reach Western banks, no investigation has yet reached a conclusion. The fact that Kadare also told the newspaper that there had been a 1963 decision by the Political Bureau to transfer money abroad is consistent with the documents recently published, which refer to an eighth decision from that period, under which the PPSH undertook to establish a “solidarity fund” to “help the Marxist-Leninist movement” around the world.

TIRANA — Yesterday was a historic day for Albanians. It was the first Saturday off in the history of this country. Yesterday all offices and other institutions under state authority remained closed. At last, Albanians too felt equal, at least in terms of the weekly day off, to the citizens of the same continent. Saturday passed like an ordinary day off: some went to the beach, some to the hills around the Artificial Lake, more or less what people had previously been used to doing on Sundays. A large number of vehicles were seen on the road to Durrës and the coastal area.

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By Stella Wilder Aries 20/III 20/IV You will have to face a very demanding test: it will be satisfying to see how much you can do for yourself. You will be relieved of a series of responsibilities that were a burden to you. Taurus 21/IV 20/V All you do is announce important messages to the people most important to you, so you are truly your own. You should be the first to follow the faith foretold by the messages that you ...[?] Gemini 21/V 20/VI You will be rewarded for a situation of ...[?] that you have gone through. A series of fantastic opportunities will come your way. Do not hesitate. There is no need to leave ...[?] in order to win a ...[?] Cancer 21/VI 22/VII You will want to take the most extreme positions, forcing others to exercise great patience. Be careful; do not overdo it. You may reach new conclusions about an old problem. Leo 23/VII 22/VIII The week will begin with a disorganized flurry of activity. Try to save some reserve energy for the last few days. Someone who works with you is trying to push you beyond your capacity. Resist. Scorpio 2/X 21/XI Anyone who says that everything is easy has never tried it themselves. Keep going, relying only on your own strength. Many will claim to support you. Find out for yourself and you will be surprised. Libra 23/IX 22/X Guests who visit you this week will be impressed by your appearance, skill, and style. An old rivalry will come to the fore, threatening your peace of mind. Be on your guard. Virgo 23/VIII 22/IX Lately you have expressed your desire for money; this could backfire on you in the coming days. Take measures quickly. Do not risk anything by making a hasty decision. Sagittarius 22/XI 21/XII You will be greeted as though you have not had the strength to make a decision, but during the week you will argue that your opinion is also very valuable. You will find it much easier to communicate and settle disagreements. Capricorn 22/XII 19/I Try to devote more time to yourself. All the more so because, as the days go by, you will discover that you deserve it. The routine in the coming days will be more boring than usual. Aquarius 20/I 19/II Your good-natured patience will be very much needed in the coming days. Do not react without thinking and do not blurt things out. Wait for more suitable moments. A calm situation at home. Pisces 20/II 19/III You should carefully assess the apparent obstacles you face at home and at work: try to anticipate the consequences if you do not want to be caught by surprises that are not always pleasant.

A MAJOR ROCK CONCERT IN TIRANA — The big Saturday evening concert, held in front of the University of Tirana, was called “Rock Spectacle.” The musical event featured the best modern Albanian bands and thrilled hundreds and thousands of spectators. The concert—which was also broadcast live by Albanian TV—was held as part of “Kosovo Cultural Week.” NEWSPAPER “SARANDA” IS PRIVATIZED — The local newspaper “Saranda,” in the town of the same name, has been slated for privatization by a decision of the District Council, approved by the Ministry of Justice. Official sources report that the newspaper has now become the private property of journalists Petraq Bereti, chairman of “Omonia” in Saranda, and Thoma Nika, its former editor-in-chief. But following the privatization of the former district newspaper “Saranda,” which led to staff being laid off, they have sent a protest to the political parties in the district, the Ministry of Justice and the Albanian Journalists’ Association. “ANILA MARKETING” RENTS PART OF GOLEM BEACH — The private company “Anila Marketing” has rented 3,000 square meters of beach in Golem, Kavajë. The company has already started operating on this stretch and has made its campsite available to holidaymakers for the first ten days of July. There is space for 30 families, and each spot has a refrigerator and an electric cooker. Reservations, according to the owners, can be made in Strugë, Tirana or Golem.

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