The former Cooperation ambassador testifies Rome prosecutors are investigating more than 50 billion intended for Albania CARLO BOLLINO TIRANA — “Yes, it is true, indeed it is about something I have been saying publicly for a year and a half now. The structure set up in Rome to implement and monitor the Italian aid projects for Albania is absurd, created specifically to make it impossible to verify how the funds are used. It is as if a wall had been built in order to avoid responsibility.” This is what is said in the circle of the former Italian ambassador in Tirana during the technical government of Giuliano Amato, Stefano de Astis. The former ambassador has now been called to testify in Rome by the prosecutors in the “Mani pulite” case, who have launched criminal investigations into the “Albanian scandal,” which has sent four former senior officials of the Interministerial Committee for Cooperation to prison, on charges of corruption and abuse of office. As is known, this concerns 129,331,551,208 lire, which until now have been managed in a chaotic manner, and over which the scandal erupted after denunciations by the Green deputy Paolo Mattioli. Under Italian supervision there would have been 200 million dollars, divided into 20 major and minor projects intended for Albania on the basis of various decisions and laws affecting many ministries and many budget items. But of this staggering sum, approximately 60 billion have actually been spent. 29.929 billion lire have officially remained unspent, although 10 billion of these were promised for the purchase of “Breda” railway equipment, which was not delivered. The rest has “evaporated” in various forms and ways. The news is that every official document concerning the interventions carried out in Albania has completely disappeared. Even this archive, jealously kept in the offices of the Italian embassy in Tirana, was lost a few days after Ambassador De Astis left, in June 1993. No minister knows anything, neither does the Italian diplomatic mission in Tirana, nor the judges themselves, because everything was centralized in a special office in Rome, called Ufficio Albania, once headed by Ambassador Roberto Morabito and later by Ambassador Pietro Pio Sabatelli. A second summons to testify has now arrived at the Albanian office of “Mani pulite” at the Italian embassy. After Ambassador Stefano De Astis, engineer Alessandro Sozzo, former head of the Albanian mission of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also went to Rome today. He dealt with all the civil projects and knew everything as well. In fact, it was he and his collaborator Teodora Dega who prepared the financing paperwork and informed the Italian ministries about the progress of the works. Now they have in their hands the task of rebuilding the “lost memory” of the aid for Albania.

Chairman of the Democratic Party Eduard Selami TIRANA — In the context of the expected government changes, the Chairman of the Democratic Party, Mr. Eduard Selami, declared yesterday before journalists that “if there are dismissals or changes in the government cabinet, they will be made only with the criterion of efficiency in mind.” Mr. Selami went on to say that “the PD has never been concerned with issues of personalities but with issues of performance and work.” Referring to recent speculation about possible moves in the government, Selami added that “there is no room for any mistaken political interpretation.”

Sport Serie A matches in Italy and Albania All results on the inside pages

TIRANA — The intensity of dialogue between the Albanian police and that of other countries has been showing a marked increase of late. This was stated yesterday by the Albanian police chief, Hysni Burgaj, during a meeting with the diplomatic corps accredited in the country. According to him, the aim is to strengthen the fight against crime and illegal trafficking through cooperation with the corresponding structures of Italy and Croatia.

A person from Plav is wounded by a Yugoslav soldier

TIRANA — The police service has announced that two young people have been detained as suspects in a theft committed on the premises of Hotel Dajti. According to the official statement, the circumstances and the items taken are under investigation.

From a meeting in Oranto the alarm is raised MICHELE AFFATTO ORANTO — “At a time when the world is losing patience with Bosnia, no one has the right to underestimate the danger coming from Kosovo.” This is the essence of the alarm raised at a meeting held in Oranto, which brought together various political and intellectual representatives. The discussions emphasized that the situation in Kosovo is becoming more and more tense every day and that international attention is needed to prevent an escalation of the conflict. Albanian-Serb relations and the position of Albanians in Kosovo were treated as issues that could affect the entire region. The participants called for clearer diplomatic and political action from European countries.

Necessary materials are lacking KAVAJË — The orthopedic department of the Kavajë hospital lacks the basic materials for procedures and treatment. Doctors say this has severely limited daily work and has pushed some patients to seek care in other hospitals.

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