The Rome Prosecutor’s Office is investigating 50 billion earmarked for Albania The Rome Prosecutor’s Office is investigating 50 billion lire earmarked for Albania. Aid, another scandal. The former Cooperation ambassador gives testimony. “The government? I support restructuring.” CARLO BOLLINO TIRANA — Italy-Albania cooperation: another scandal is looming. This time, a shipment of aid worth 50 billion lire offered to Albania when Gianni De Michelis was Foreign Minister has come under the scrutiny of the Italian investigators. The revelations about the background to this new scandal (which is being added to the one being investigated by Rome Prosecutor Evelina Canale and which has involved—among others—the Bari company Levante Co.) were made by former ambassador Giuseppe Santoro, the senior official in charge of the Italian Cooperation Office until March 1993, when he was arrested precisely for the illegal handling of aid. Santoro told Rome prosecutor Vittorio Parraggio all the details about the ways in which Italian politicians (in particular Andreotti, Craxi and De Michelis) handled the hundreds of billions in Cooperation funds for countries in need. Albania was among them. In the record of the questioning on 8 July 1993, Giuseppe Santoro, 63, a staunch socialist, implicates a journalist, Luigi Barone, De Michelis’s former press spokesman. Speaking about Albania, he says: “Barone had a relationship with the industrial group Ferruzzi — Montedison during the period between 1991 and the first months of 1992.” The Ferruzzi — Montedison group has been at the centre of a colossal scandal in Italy for several weeks: another kickbacks affair that emerged after the suicide of its former president, Raul Gardini. Santoro does not mention any possible Albanian officials involved in the irregular disbursement of this aid—and, on the other hand, it does not appear that the Italian investigator asked him any questions of this kind—but names another person, also connected in some way with Albania: Giorgio Casadei, Gianni De Michelis’s secretary. According to former ambassador Santoro, Casadei was “the third man” in the Cooperation affair, the person who, on behalf of the former Foreign Minister, maintained contacts with the companies interested in supplying aid. Casadei was arrested at the end of 1992 during the “Clean Hands” investigation into one of the many Italian kickbacks scandals. The strange thing is that the Carabinieri detained him at Fiumicino Airport just after he got off a plane from Tirana. At the time, De Michelis was no longer Foreign Minister, yet his secretary continued to frequent the Albanian eagles’ line. Why? And with whom had he maintained his connections? It is a ... TIRANA — “Yes, it is true, we support restructuring the current government. We said so even at the time of the first changes.” Eduart Selami, chairman of the Democratic Party, told Gazeta at the close of Saturday morning’s press conference. Asked about the “rumours” circulating in recent days about an imminent reshuffle of the government, Selami acknowledged “that this is a possibility, although it is not yet a concrete fact.” Asked again whether the time was right for a possible government renewal, Selami said he could not predict it, but clarified that it was not directly linked to the Democratic Party’s National Congress, which is to be held in the autumn. During the press conference, Selami spoke about the outcome of the meeting in Bucharest of the Union of European Democratic Parties, where the Democratic Party is an observer but is not yet a member. In Budapest, the admission of ... by Greece’s New Democracy party was rejected. The Greeks justified their rejection by citing alleged failures to respect the rights of the Greek minority in Albania and the arrest of “opposition leader Fatos Nano.” Selami stressed that Nano ended up in prison as a corrupt man, not as opposition leader. “The other European democratic parties present in Budapest,” Selami added, “expressed ... loyal to De Michelis and a friend of Garofano, president of Montedison, Barone was tasked with dealing with the related issue of supplying food aid to Albania, in which Ferruzzi had a very considerable interest, amounting to around 40–50 billion. In this capacity, formally entrusted by Ferruzzi, Barone handled the entire initiative.” Santoro does not specify the period in which this aid was sent. The aid was delivered, but from some of the details provided it is not clear whether he is referring to ... ... at Fiumicino airport, just as he got off a plane arriving from Tirana. At that time De Michelis was no longer Foreign Minister, and yet his secretary continued to frequent the Adtheu i Shqiponjave unit. Why? And with whom had he maintained his ties? This is another page in the Italian-Albanian mysteries. Democratic Party chairman Eduart Selami Former minister De Michelis

Sport Serie A matches in Italy and Albania All the results on the inside pages Torino’s second goal

TIRANA — Dialogue between the Albanian Police and the police forces of neighbouring countries is increasing. A draft cooperation agreement was prepared in Tirana on the occasion of the visit by Croatian Minister of the Interior Ivan Jarnjak, who was also received at a special meeting by Prime Minister Meksi. The same topic was the subject of the visit to Rome by Albanian Deputy Minister of Public Order Sabri Jacaj. Jacaj, who also met with the Chief of the Italian Police, Parisi, discussed with his counterparts cooperation in the fight against organized crime and the trafficking of arms and drugs. They also discussed speeding up the delivery of Italian aid to the Albanian Police.

TIRANA — A Yugoslav border guard, Ranko Bojovic, 31, was slightly wounded on Saturday while patrolling with several other soldiers along the Yugoslav-Albanian border in the Plavë region, north of Tro- TIRANA — A Yugoslav border guard, Ranko Bojoviç, 31, was slightly wounded on Saturday while patrolling with several other soldiers along the Yugoslav-Albanian border in the Plavë region, north of Tropoja. The announcement was carried by news agencies, which stressed that the details of the incident are not yet clear. A few days earlier, another Yugoslav soldier was wounded in almost the same place. No further details of that incident have been reported either, while the Yugoslav authorities have blamed the Albanians but have been unable to present the relevant evidence.

DROUGHT DAMAGE IN THE ERSEKË DISTRICT — Major damage from drought is expected in the Ersekë district. According to specialists at the District Agriculture Directorate, of the 1,000 hectares of maize planted by private farmers, almost the entire area has been completely damaged. According to these sources, the damage could have been reduced if the Helmës or Qafëzë canals had been put into operation without delay. SHKODËR, 2.5 HECTARES OF FOREST COMPLETELY BURNED — The area burned in the forests of the Shkodër district is small compared with the number of fires and the areas affected by them. According to senior sources in the area, 2.5 hectares have been completely burned. To prevent and extinguish fires in these districts, Forest Police officials have appointed numerous assistants from among residents of the surrounding areas, as well as personnel from various Civil Protection units. ALBANIAN GOVERNMENT APPROVES IN PRINCIPLE A PROJECT FOR INTERNATIONAL ROAD TRANSPORT WITH THE NETHERLANDS — “The preparation of this draft agreement” was the result of the many contacts we have had with the Ministry of Transport of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and agreement has been reached to sign an agreement on the international transport of goods and passengers, says a notice ... submitted by the ministries. ...

Necessary materials are missing KAVAJË — (p. re). The orthopedics unit at the dental clinic in the Kavajë district has been out of operation for some time because of a shortage of materials. The situation is made worse by the growing demand for this type of dental service. The number of outpatient visits has increased, reaching 8,000. In addition, 1,103 patient files have been opened. But while the therapy unit has responded better to the increased demand, performing more than 2,500 fillings of varying degrees, everything in the orthopedics unit is paralyzed. The materials most essential to its work are missing, such as endo... apparatus. Special- ... they think that this difficult situation could be overcome only through the privatization of this public service. This would make it possible not only to ensure a regular supply of equipment and materials, eliminating shortages, but also, it is believed, to significantly improve the quality of the service. A very different picture is seen in the medical therapy services of this city. The 80 doctors and nurses at the polyclinic have carried out 60,000 medical visits this year alone, one quarter of them for child patients. They have also administered 12,650 injections. ... experts injections.

TIRANA — Two young men accused of “theft in complicity” in a room at the capital’s Hotel “Dajti” have been arrested. The arrest, carried out on Friday evening, sent Hendrik Kopliku and Hengel Qerimi—both 18 years old—to the cells of Tirana Prison. The decision by the Tirana Prosecutor’s Office was implemented late, as both accused teenagers had gone to an unknown destination. The reason for their arrest was an incident on Wednesday on the terrace of the second floor of Hotel “Dajti”, where the driver Hendrik and Hengel—as stated by the hotel staff—had tried to take various items from the rooms of the cartel’s personal guards.

AN ALBANIAN EMIGRANT IS KILLED — An Albanian boy who had emigrated to Italy, Shpëtim Huqi, 21, was stabbed in the heart on Saturday during a quarrel between fellow countrymen staying at a reception center in the Cuneo area. The incident took place in Mondovì, at the Bellas Colony, a center run by don Giorgio Cappellino, which provides shelter and food for around twenty Albanian emigrants. According to several accounts, the person who stabbed him was another resident of the center, Eugen Delialishi, 19, from Durrës, whose whereabouts are unknown. A GIANT FISH BITES OFF A FISHERMAN’S TOES — A 69-year-old Spanish fisherman who was swimming in the waters off Valencia was attacked by a giant fish, which bit off all five toes on his left foot in one bite. 45 BLUE HELMETS WHO RETURNED FROM CAMBODIA TEST HIV-POSITIVE — Forty-five Indian blue helmets from a 700-person battalion that took part in peace operations in Cambodia tested HIV-positive during AIDS tests carried out three months after their return. WE WILL KIDNAP WESTERNERS, AIDID’S ASSOCIATE THREATENS — A senior associate of Mohamed Farah Aidid is threatening reprisals if the “Somali warlord” is arrested, and said that people arriving from the West could be captured and held hostage. Osman Ato, for whom, like Aidid, the United Nations has issued an arrest warrant and even offered a reward to anyone who can arrest him, was interviewed in Mogadishu by a correspondent for the American daily “Washington Post.”

OTRANTO — They had hidden like stowaways in two boats and risked their lives to fulfill their dream of reaching the Italian coast. Twenty-seven people—Albanians, Indians, Pakistanis and citizens of Bangladesh—were rescued by Port Authority sailors in two operations. The first began last Friday, 12 miles from the waters of Otranto, where a boat in difficulty, named “Santa Elisabeta,” had been spotted. The second operation took place during the night of Saturday, two days later, nine miles from Santa Foca, where the commander of a fishing boat had spotted a boat in distress and several people on board who were shouting and asking for help. In the photo: the boat “Santa Elisabeta”

An alarm is sounded at a meeting in Otranto OTRANTO — The spread of the war in Yugoslavia throughout the entire Balkan region must be prevented. A cloud hangs over Europe, and Italy in particular. This is the alarm sounded in Otranto—the “Gateway to the East”—during the meeting “Italy for Albania, Albania for Italy,” organized by the geopolitical magazine “Limes” and the Community of Sant’Egidio. Albania is struggling greatly, but with considerable determination, to emerge from the darkness into which 40 years of communism had plunged it. This was emphasized by the 31-year-old Minister of Trade, Arben Hoxha. The results of the two years during which Albania has been rebuilding are evident in the country’s income, which has multiplied tenfold. This is also thanks to the flow of technology that has ... Hoxha said when speaking of the 60% of aid supplied to our country. So ... ... one doubts neither the usefulness of Operation “Pellicano” nor the role of the Albanian administration. “We don’t ... something unprecedented has happened; these are matters that belong to the region itself, while the rest awaits ...,” said Paglia, one of the delegates of the Community of Sant’Egidio. It was precisely our intervention that sounded the alarm about the possibility of the Yugoslav conflict spreading to Kosovo. Although today it is oppressed by the small Serbian minority, Albania does not want the conflict to spread and has other demands, but it calls for the ethnic cleansing in Kosovo to be prevented, Minister Hoxha said, also proposing that the embargo against Serbia be extended for this purpose. The appeal was made forcefully during what the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Botta, called a “microscopic” European plan for the situation in the Balkans. He too said he agreed that ... Europe, through the CSCE, should exert pressure on the Belgrade government. But Bottai also stated clearly that Italy has no “monopoly” over Albania, meaning that responsibility for the situation across the Adriatic should not be placed solely on our country. Albania, too, should not feel in any way tied exclusively to us; it can and should seek new agreements and expand cooperation with new partners. In 1980, during his visit to Otranto, Pope Wojtyla loudly sent his greetings to the people across the sea. This should be the process that is put into practice. Now, from the city that ... geography has put on its feet ... Minister of Trade and Foreign Cooperation, Arben Hoxha

OTRANTO — They had hidden like stowaways in two boats and risked their lives to fulfill their dream of reaching the Italian coast. 27 people, Albanians, Indians, Pakistanis and citizens of Bangladesh, were rescued by Port Authority sailors as a result of two operations. In the photo: the boat “Santa Elisabeta”