A new charge against the Socialist Party leader. His request is rejected; he is returned to his cell in handcuffs Lawyers: Trial for corruption within October EDMOND LAÇI TIRANA — The court has ruled: Fatos Nano remains in his cell at Tirana Prison. But he now faces another new charge, in addition to that of “abuse of office and falsification of official documents.” Rejecting the Socialist leader’s request to revoke the detention order, the Presiding Judge of the Court states: “The defendant is obstructing the discovery of the truth in the Italian aid case,” referring to the questioning sessions conducted by the Prosecutor’s Office, during which Nano gave no explanations. Only a few minutes after the end of Nano’s first trial, it emerges that his second trial is ready. This time it will examine the Italian aid scandal. “The information we have is that within October, or even sooner, our client will appear in court on the charges brought against him,” one of Nano’s lawyers, Përparim Sanxhaku, tells Gazeta. This is the first significant confirmation pointing toward the uncovering of the aid scandal, which has politically and economically implicated senior officials in Albania as well as in Italy. Nano himself, however, thinks differently and links his appearance in court to the President’s wishes. “He should be asked,” Nano replies to Gazeta’s question after the lawyers confirmed the news. The lawyers have no further doubts about this timeframe: “I see that, although the first two months of the investigation were subject to unjustifiable delays,” says the other lawyer, Agim Tirana, “in recent days the Prosecutor’s Office has been conducting very intensive investigations.” The completion of the investigation into Fatos Nano, which is expected to reveal at least part of the mystery surrounding the donated Italian aid, is also the first sign that Justice has started working quickly. According to the lawyers, Nano’s investigative file is very substantial. It is a file containing more than 1,000 pages of material, not only investigative material, but also documents gathered by the State Audit Commission, various records, minutes of Government meetings chaired by Nano, and many other documents. “The intensity of the investigation requires me to work on this case morning and afternoon,” explains lawyer Sanxhaku. An indication of the charges to be detailed in the corruption trial came on Thursday at noon, when former Prime Minister Nano appeared in handcuffs in the courtroom like any ordinary convict, to have his detention status changed. Presiding Judge Andi Çeliku, while affirming that Nano’s arrest was lawful, also summarized the main charges before leaving the courtroom: “Abuse of office and falsification of official documents.” The first charge, according to Çeliku, concerns the serious consequences for the state resulting from Nano’s acts or omissions while he held a senior state office, the obstruction of the discovery of the truth, the high social danger posed by this person, and the damage of 8 billion lire identified in the distribution of Italian aid. The judges stated this as they decided not to revoke his detention. But this is only the first hearing. “My belief in my innocence is not divided between hearings,” says Nano. Former Prime Minister Fatos Nano leaves his cell in handcuffs and (right) during the trial. Nano has just returned to his cell. And he seemed very hopeful. On the steps of the Tirana Court, Fatos Nano replies: “With this trial, you lost the opportunity history gave you.” But there is another opportunity for Nano: the day of the corruption trial. Above all, it is the best opportunity for Justice and Nano to shed light on the truth, which until now has remained in the darkness of mystery. Sarah Ferguson has endured great hardships. On a visit that—precisely for this reason—Sarah made to the countryside, to a large family, she bypassed all official protocol. Sarah Ferguson stayed in Albania for five days, but the news only emerged after she had left: she went to Laç, Shkodër, Berat and Vlorë to bring aid and care for families and people with disabilities. She distributed medical supplies, sweets, toys and sincere words, even giving away her green cotton blouse: an elderly woman in Vlorë was cold, so she gave it to her. She travelled in a minibus followed by three trucks full of gifts, with a delegation led by an Englishwoman who has lived in Tirana for three years and had organized her trip. The order was strict: nothing was to be made known. The aim was achieved. Even President Sali Berisha was informed of the Duchess’s presence only a few hours before their meeting. An informational briefing, also top secret, and then she was on the road again. Sarah Ferguson also met Queen M… [?]… — another point on her itinerary: the Duchess went to meet her. A small gift for everyone. In Shëngjin she met a family living in a small beach hut after their house was destroyed in last year’s floods. In Laç she stopped at a bakery, where she even helped the workers eat their own products on a truck. That night the trip brought her to Tirana, where she slept in villa 30 in the former Bllok area. Her visit began last Friday and ended on Tuesday. Sarah Ferguson, who arrived at Rinas Airport as an ordinary tourist, joined the queue at passport control without asking for privileges, above all so as not to be recognized. And in fact, practically nobody recognized her. But why so much secrecy? Because the Queen of England had given Sarah and Diana—her second daughter-in-law—a strict order: “Do not take part in initiatives that might arouse excessive sympathy for you.” Strict orders from the Royal Household.

The Queen had forbidden it CARLO BOLLINO SHKODËR — The Duchess has defied the Queen. Sarah Ferguson, former wife of Prince Andrew of England, has come to Albania in defiance of the Queen’s order, Queen M… A visit that—precisely for this reason—Sarah carried out in the strictest secrecy, foregoing days, but the news only emerged … In Shkodër … visited the children at the city hospital, whose terrible images had reached England, and which had been closed a few days earlier for hygienic reasons. The young patients, all of them disabled, have now been received in various towns across the country, and the Duchess went to meet them. was destroyed in last year’s floods. In Lezhë she stopped The Duchess of York, Sara Ferguson

SELAMI: “GERMANY’S AID IS VERY IMPORTANT” — “We consider cooperation with Germany very important,” PD chairman Selami emphasized at a meeting with German parliamentarians. Deputies Roshenbach and Ridell, for their part, noted that a short time ago the German Parliament, during its budget debate, approved another aid package for Albania. AID FOR HEALTHCARE IN SHKODËR — A substantial quantity of medical aid was donated in Shkodër by the German foundation “Jürgen Vaan”. After an event held in Tirana and Kavajë, it stopped in Shkodër. This time the foundation arranged for a group of Shkodër doctors to be sent to Germany. NATIONAL CONSULTATION ON THE RESTRUCTURING OF LINGUISTIC STUDIES — The proceedings of the National Consultation of Albanian-language scholars began. They will discuss two important issues in contemporary linguistics: defining the subject of study and raising its quality through the application of modern methods. [Fragment at the top, cut off] …[?]… in Italy. Nano himself thinks otherwise and links his appearance in the two trials to Gazeta’s question after the news was confirmed by… [fragment cut off] … to work of material, not only investigative material, but also documents collected by the Audit… … to have his detention status changed. Presiding Judge Andi Çelku, while affirming that Nano’s arrest was… … he said at the hearing… … the distribution of Italian aid. The judges agreed, deciding that … darkness of mystery. Yesterday in Albania Shkodër: INSIDE! He had been accused of defamation

They had occupied the school SHKODËR — Two women who opposed police officers’ attempt to return the village school building in Nënshat to its normal function have ended up detained at the Shkodër Police headquarters. Age Ndoka, 34, and Linda Ndoka apparently opposed the action in a rather forceful manner. Some time ago, the family of the two detained women had converted the village school premises into a home. They had still not vacated them at the start of the new school year. This forced the local authorities to seek the Police’s help to resolve the problem.

He had been accused of defamation TIRANA — (Ed. L.) — The criminal case against Ilir Keko, a journalist with “Alternativa SD”, has been dismissed. His detention in custody—without a request for permission—had been ordered by the Tirana Prosecutor’s Office on the 2nd of this month. The charge against Keko, “slanderous defamation of senior state figures,” referred to an article of his published in the newspaper “Alternativa SD”. The decision to dismiss the criminal case was made the day before yesterday by the Deputy Prosecutor of the Tirana District. “I am very happy to come to your country, about which my father had told me since I was a child,” was the statement about which Keko explained to the Prosecutor’s Office that he had previously read it in the Albanian periodical press and had not made it up himself. Keko also acknowledged that, by not writing in the article that the Albanian ambassador to Malaysia knew other foreign languages besides English, he had not intended to offend him. These questioning sessions, together with an explanatory article by Keko in his newspaper, were enough for the District Prosecutor’s Office to apply Article 73. This article allows a criminal case against a defendant to be dismissed, even if the criminal offence was committed, when the defendant repents and the offence poses little social danger.

“I’m not a magician, but a scientist. I’ll also work with a computer” A person who has brought a special profession to life in Albania speaks FATOS BAXHAKU TIRANA — “I don’t call myself a magician. In fact, I am a determined opponent of those who preach mysticism. I explain people’s truth and future only on entirely scientific grounds.” This is what says Apostoli Plaku, 72, the first person in Albania to obtain a license registering him as a “Dream Interpreter and Chiromant (chirologist).” The most interesting fact is that, apart from something about Plaku, he has worked in “Hosen” and as an economist, and was recruited in a Tirana District as a legal entity, to make the scientific nature of his activity more convincing, as he attests: “Soon I will be working with a computer and with a device called a psychometer.” A few signs posted on Tirana’s central street let passersby know that his service exists. “Professor”—as Apostoli is called by his admirers—undertakes several kinds of services, many of them still unfamiliar to Albanian clients: interpreting dreams, reading [?] and chiromancy. The supplement Indrauwe has been an old passion of Apostoli Plaku; he understood that it all began with an Italian postcard, which now bears the name Minucciato. These practices are to be explained on scientific grounds. The secret of interpretation—explaining it on Monday?—the “Professor” interpreter tells the newspaper, in writing and with many examples, some of the secrets of his profession. “When we see [something] in life and in a dream—and this is one of the cases that happens often,” says Plaku, “it is interpreted in many ways; it depends on the form in which the dream has been given, [?]. If it is sour, then it means that soon I will encounter trouble from Ramqë, while when one smells something, a joke is likely to happen. ‘For this reason, dreams are valid only if they are seen after one o’clock at night. Those seen during daytime sleep are completely invalid. The truth that does not become entirely clear, it helps us because of our fault, and almost at the hour when it came… [illegible text] …dream, but this is only in the small details.’ Thus a new activity has begun to take shape in Tirana. It is still in its early stages. Apostoll has other plans for the future. In addition to the computer and psychometer, his office in the building on “Luigj Gurakuqi” Street—which currently operates almost as a family business—will also be given a new look. Clients will be received by the “Professor,” dressed in a black robe, and by his two assistants, whom he has decided to take on as [?] at work. “Professor” is an elderly woman from him, who in turn has no…? [illegible text]

It was awarded to African-American Toni Morrison Once again, nothing could be done for the writer Ismail Kadare. Although he was considered among the favorites to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, he did not succeed. It was the African-American writer Toni Morrison who won, with books entirely swept up in the problems and social themes of people in the United States and in the rest of the world, especially women; she was the one who managed to emerge victorious over every contender. The prize, which this year amounts to 850 million lira for the third time in [?], will be presented at the traditional ceremony on December 10, commemorating Alfred Nobel, and has been awarded for her works, characterized by a realist style and particular attention to history and Black themes. Toni Morrison is the first African-American writer… [the final part is cut off]

Readers will soon receive this panorama of the city from one of the companies that will come out together with the Albanian Gazette. The city panorama showing a view… [?]… beautiful.

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