Constitutional Court: “Lawful arrest” The PS parliamentary group’s complaint against the Prosecutor’s Office is dismissed First sentence for the unrest in the capital following the socialist rally TIRANA — (ed. la) — Gjergj Bita, 34, was the first person sentenced by the Tirana Court on the charge of “participating in illegal demonstrations and gatherings,” referring specifically to the unrest that followed Nano’s arrest and the PS rally on the afternoon of 30 July 1993. Having established the charge against Bita — a member of a military group in Tirana — the court sentenced him to one month in prison. The provision covering this criminal offense carries a maximum sentence of one year in prison. Three such trials had been scheduled for Tuesday, but two were postponed because the defendants — who were at liberty — failed to appear. The case against 32 defendants was to be heard in the Tirana Court; only 8 of them are in custody. TIRANA — (fa. ba) — The leader of the socialists will continue to remain in prison in Tirana, accused of abuse of office and forgery of documents in the Italian connections scandal. The Constitutional Court has rejected the PS parliamentary group’s request to lift the arrest order against its chairman. The decision was communicated to socialist representatives and is final. “The Tirana Prosecutor’s Office did not violate any provision of the ‘Law on the Main Constitutional Provisions’ in deciding to arrest Nano,” the Constitutional Court ruled. The previous day, a delegation from the PS parliamentary group, consisting of group chairman Namik Dokle and legal expert Bashkim Çaka, had read before members of the Constitutional Court in Tirana a petition setting out all its reservations about Nano’s arrest. The core of its argument was that he should be released because, as he was still a member of parliament, he could not be arrested without a special decision by Parliament, even though his immunity had previously been removed by a majority vote. The Court’s decision, read by Deputy Chairman Feti Gjilani, is definitive: once a member of parliament’s immunity has been lifted, the Prosecutor’s Office is free to take whatever measure it considers most appropriate for ensuring the security of the investigation and taking account of its importance. According to the Court, the entire procedure in the Nano case is in order. There has been no violation of the law. Nano will therefore remain in prison, as the Tirana Prosecutor’s Office had already decided on 30 July. “We wanted to try the last chance we had left,” Namik Dokle told Gazeta, “although we did not have very high hopes. Now we will continue trying to raise awareness among public opinion at home and abroad.” Meanwhile, Fatos Nano is waiting in Tirana prison for questioning to begin. “It will be a lengthy procedure,” his defense lawyer, Përparim Sanxhaku, told Gazeta, “and I have prepared my client for it.” This is the second time that the cancellation of an arrest order has been sought for such prominent detainees. Some time ago, in the case of two people accused in another scandal, the “Arsidi case,” the Tirana Court was asked to consider replacing detention with house arrest. Former Prime Minister Fatos Nano The Court’s reasoning The Constitutional Court’s decision is final and cannot be appealed further. In its view, the Tirana Prosecutor’s Office did not violate the Constitution when it ordered Fatos Nano’s arrest. Under the law, it is sufficient for Parliament to vote to lift a member of parliament’s immunity; after that, it is for the Prosecutor’s Office to decide on the appropriate measure, as it would for any ordinary citizen. Any decision it makes—whether a search of a residence, prosecution while at liberty, house arrest, or imprisonment—falls solely within the investigative authority’s competence and is taken in accordance with the security, confidentiality, and importance of the investigation. The PS’s arguments According to the PS parliamentary group’s petition, by ordering Fatos Nano’s arrest the Prosecutor’s Office violated Article 22 of the Law “On the Main Constitutional Provisions,” which states that the arrest of a member of parliament can be ordered only by Parliament. The socialists also argued that arresting a member of parliament prevents him from fulfilling the duties arising from his mandate, as set out in Law 7503, “On the Status of a Deputy of the People’s Assembly”: representation in the highest body of state power, regular participation in meetings of the People’s Assembly, expressing his own views and those of the constituents he represents, and seeking solutions concerning the actions of state bodies.

An article is challenged CARLO BOLLINO TIRANA — The Ministry of Public Order states: “We have no information about the Italian mafia entering Albania.” In a report broadcast Tuesday evening during the state television’s main news bulletin, the ministry challenged the article published by “Gazeta Shqiptare,” which reported, among other things, information taken from the six-month report on the activities of the Italian secret services, submitted to the Parliament in Rome by Prime Minister Carlo Azeglio Ciampi: “The journalist who says that the mafia has begun operating in Albania,” the statement read, “is inaccurate and has malicious intentions.” With the utmost respect for the work of the Ministry of Public Order and its difficult task, we feel it is necessary to make a few clarifications. The news was not made up by “Gazeta Shqiptare,” nor—as the ministry’s statement claims—is it “old news.” In fact, it was reported by the Italian press agency on 3 August 1993. Specifically, the article published in our newspaper was taken from a dispatch by Agenzia Italia (one of the most important and trusted sources of national news), issued at 19:54 on the aforementioned date. The dispatch referred to the “Six-month report on information and security policy” that Prime Minister Carlo Azeglio Ciampi had presented to Parliament that morning. The document states verbatim: “Infiltrations by organized crime and the mafia are emerging in the regions along the eastern Adriatic border, for the purpose of managing, with Albanian and former Yugoslav elements, the trafficking of weapons and explosives.” So this is not a journalistic invention, but a report—and a worrying one—from the prime minister. Nevertheless, we must acknowledge that it is serious when such information appears in the press and not also in the ministries of the countries concerned by this phenomenon. The newspapers cannot, of course, be blamed for that. Rejecting the accusation in the Ministry of Public Order’s statement that the newspaper sought to create “sensationalism,” we agree with the Ministry on the need to provide accurate and serious information and to respect Albanian readers. This is a commitment we made at the beginning of our difficult work and will not abandon for any reason. We do not believe that reporting in Albania news which has been widely circulated in Italy and other foreign countries constitutes a “bad act” against the country. Nor, for that matter, was there any intention to criticize the work of the Ministry of Public Order, whose merits we have in fact often acknowledged publicly. What we hope today is that the Italian Prime Minister was mistaken: seeing the defeat of the mafia, which has plagued Italy for a hundred years and is the third [unclear] on the planet, is in everyone’s interest. Knowing that it is powerful and able to spread everywhere, on the other hand, terrifies us.

Stabbed by his compatriots in Italy EDMOND LAÇI VLORA — Repatriated from Italy to his home city of Vlora, but dead — 24-year-old Ardian Tozaj. “Our authorities had been looking for him for four months,” Ilirjan Hasani, Chief of Police in Vlora, tells Gazeta, “because he was responsible for a serious gunshot wound.” At the Vlora Public Order Department, the records of his killing in Italy link it to a revenge attack carried out by rival groups of the victim. Meanwhile, the first account—published by Gazeta immediately after the killing—said that “the dispute had erupted over ownership of a passenger car.” The Carabinieri company in Orvieto, Terni, arrested four people suspected of being responsible after a knife fight between Albanian compatriots: Edmond Nesha, 30, Gazmend Haxhiu, 28, Gëzim Hodo, 32, and Shkëlzen Maxhaku, 21. Only the latter was held in Orvieto Prison, while the other three—wounded with knives—are still in hospital. The victim, Tozaj, who had been living in Italy as a client, was identified nearby under the false name Ardi Rusi. “Tozaj was wanted not only by the Albanian Police,” Ilirjan Hasani continues, “but also by the Greek and Italian police. This person received his first sentence in Albania at the age of 14, on a charge of rape.” This source says that a search of Tozaj’s home—conducted after his crime in Vlora—turned up a number of sophisticated weapons: a modern “Shotgan” shotgun, an electric baton (with a power of over 9,000 volts), plastic bullets, explosive material, and knives, some of them weapons used by former Unit 326. Tozaj’s father was also detained in connection with this; he was released by the Prosecutor’s Office only after 14 days. Vlora police had repeatedly asked the Tozaj family to contact his parents in Italy and have him return to face Albanian justice, thereby saving him from possible revenge by rival groups.

The UN Security Council has unanimously called for observers to be sent to the provinces of Kosovo, Vojvodina, and Sandžak. The Council has asked Serbia to allow the deployment of CSCE missions in these provinces, because Albanians in Kosovo, Hungarians in Vojvodina, and other minorities fear further persecution by the Serbs. The Security Council’s decision comes only a few days after Albanian Foreign Minister Alfred Serreqi sent an urgent request to the current chair, Albright, following increased tensions on the border between the two countries. Serreqi had warned of the serious risk that the Yugoslav conflict could spread to the southern Balkans as well.

(Yesterday in Albania) — tests have shown — have used drinking water contaminated above the permitted limit. Although no cases of illness have yet been recorded in the city, the first reports have arrived from the villages. This is because in most of them the water supply systems operate without the necessary chlorination and, more importantly, have no guards. The Directorate of Hygiene and Epidemiology in Fier had previously issued a notice recommending that residents boil their drinking water before use. Nevertheless, according to hygiene specialists, the problem cannot be resolved without rebuilding the main water-supply pipeline, which was constructed in 1963. TWO AMBULANCES IN KOPLIK TO FIGHT DYSTROPHY — Through the Community of Sant’Egidio in Rome, the Italian Government made it possible to open two clinics in Koplik, in the district of Malësia e Madhe. The project, which aims to combat dystrophy—a condition widespread in this district—was also made possible thanks to the assistance provided by Paolo Raga, president of the Community of Sant’Egidio, and Sandro Mancineli, professor at the Institute of Epidemiology at the University of Tor Vergata in Rome. Malësia e Madhe, with around 52,000 inhabitants, currently has 220 children aged 0 to 4 with dystrophy, as well as 222 children with rickets. The gift from the Italian Government is considered extremely valuable for this district, whose terrain is difficult and mountainous.

SHKODËR — Telephone lines are a problem in the district of Shkodër. The Shllak area has now been left without a telephone network. In Postribë, 10 telephone poles and 15 kilometers of wire were damaged in 10 days. What is significant is that this phenomenon is continuing. The villages in the area complain that residents use the poles to build houses in Shkodër or its surrounding area. Besides Shllak, Velipoja—the large beach near Shkodër—has the same problem. Although the tourist season is busier than ever, holidaymakers do not have even a single line available. As a result, “urgent” messages are sent to Shkodër through the bus drivers who travel the Velipojë–Shkodër route every day.

TIRANA — (fa. ba.) — After removing the monuments to Lenin, Stalin and Enver, Tirana has decided to eliminate even the last traces of their memory. This refers to their pedestals, which are being demolished by workers from the public works department of the Capital Municipality. Removing the pedestals in this hot weather is a difficult task; nevertheless, the work is progressing. Work is first being carried out on the pedestal where the statue of the “father of the October Revolution” once stood. In place of Lenin, a public garden will be added. The pedestal without Lenin’s statue in the center of Tirana had, in a sense, become a symbol of the peaceful revolution the country had undergone. This was not only because the bronze statue had been removed some time ago, but also because some young people had deftly hand-painted on it the name of a well-known Pink Floyd album: The Wall, which is dedicated precisely to the era of perestroika and change. Along with its removal in the East. With the removal of this pedestal, many memories will thus disappear: some nostalgic Marxist-Leninist may miss it, but perhaps the boys who once lovingly wrote that name there will miss it too, in the...: The Wall. PINK FLOYD; TONIGHT ... LIFE ...; BREAKTOWN

UN decides: (Yesterday in Albania) Near Shkodër Inside

A new challenge by the Serbs to NATO Half of Europe battling fires Albanian folklore arrives in Brazilikate