The Director of the Commercial Bank is in prison. Accomplices are being sought. In prison: the Director of the Commercial Bank. Accomplices are being sought. A document accuses Xhyheri. Arrests resume in the Arsidi scandal. EDMOND LAÇI TIRANA — The Arsidi scandal erupts again. Although at the end of August the Tirana Court sentenced three people to 15 years’ imprisonment, among them a former prime minister and two executives of the Commercial Bank, another senior official from the Commercial Bank of Albania has now been arrested. Ardian Xhyheri, 29, was arrested on Wednesday by the Tirana Prosecutor’s Office and at 12:30 was taken to Tirana Prison. It is 20 October 1993, just 24 hours after the unexpected resignation of Ilir Hoti, Governor of the National Bank. Xhyheri is charged with “the misappropriation of state property on a large scale and in collusion with others.” But the mystery remains: “The Tirana District Prosecutor’s Office has opened criminal proceedings against Xhyheri and other persons on the basis of a denunciatory document.” Until late Wednesday, the Prosecutor’s Office had made no one other than Xhyheri known among the people against whom it had opened criminal proceedings that day, nor had it disclosed any security measures taken against them. “The agreement between Arsidi and Ardian Xhyheri, then director of the Bank’s Finance Directorate — Agim Tartari, now sentenced to six years’ imprisonment, had told the newspaper from his cell in the prison — provided that the fee for the French negotiator would be 10 percent of the amounts that were reduced. In addition, Arsidi was to receive an advance of 1.6 million dollars, by means of a bill of exchange discountable at all the banks in Europe. He would keep this amount regardless of the outcome.” There are 25 lines written in French, with Xhyheri’s own signature at the end. All this is dated 3 November 1991. But Xhyheri also signed the other cases, this time together with Ilir Hoti. The arrested Xhyheri, the man who spoke for around three hours as a witness at the trial of Saliu, Tartari and Ahmeti, is now in the same prison and in the same position as them. But it has not yet been made known with whom he will share the responsibility that the Prosecutor’s Office has just laid before him. Thus, the Arsidi scandal, thought to have been closed after the three people were sentenced, has reopened. In fact, a warning had been given during that trial: both Prosecutor Marko and Judge Spahiu—in their submissions and ruling—expressed their readiness and view that other people could not be tried before the Prosecutor’s Office had acted. It has now acted. Even if only with one arrest. TIRANA - (Ed.La.) — Prime Minister Ahmeti, sentenced at the end of August this year, is now waiting for his case to be referred to the Court of Appeal. “Personally, this arrest is not very important to me,” says Ahmeti, still under house arrest, “but if new evidence emerges in the Arsidi scandal, that means the truth is drawing nearer.” Ahmeti himself knew the newly arrested Xhyheri as Head of the Trade Finance Department at the National Bank. Although Vilson Ahmeti considers himself innocent, he does not accuse those responsible. “I speak for myself, but there are certainly people at fault in the history of the Arsidi scandal,” he says. Thus another new mystery emerges, one that until now was thought not to exist: “This is not about the operation of giving money to Arsidi by the Commercial Bank,” Ahmeti concludes, “but something is wrong somewhere else.” The headquarters of the National Bank in Tirana. Ahmeti: “Still a mystery...” wrong somewhere else.” arrested Xhyber as Head of the Trade Finance Department at the Commercial Bank. wrong somewhere else.” Following this case involving serious proceedings, more details were provided. The book seems to show that both these properties, on 1 January 1998, were donated to the Albanian Red Cross by King Zog I. The same text also lists 700 olive trees in the villages of Kryezi and Përçellesh in the Tirana district as property of the organization. Meanwhile, the Red Cross leaders have become concerned. The properties claimed by this organization have begun to be privatized. In Saranda, by the Municipal Enterprise, an area of 600 hectares. The book states be privatized. In Saranda, by the Municipal Enterprise, and the Law recognizes our right to reclaim the properties. The Albanian Red Cross has drawn up many projects in the fields of health, social welfare, social services and the mitigation of natural disasters. But these projects cannot be carried out solely with foreign aid or lottery proceeds. Reclaiming these properties will be a powerful source of funding for these projects and for all the Red Cross’s activities.”

The list of claims also includes Divjaka Forest and the zootechnical station allegedly taken by King Zog Hundreds of buildings and plots of land ANDREA STEFANI TIRANA — Another member has been added to the list of former owners seeking to reclaim property nationalized by the communist regime. It is the Albanian Red Cross. This humanitarian organization, active throughout the world, had suspended its activities in Albania in 1968. Along with the right to carry out its activities, the Red Cross was also stripped of its ownership rights. All its properties were nationalized. And there were many of them: buildings, agricultural land, plots, and even forests. In the Saranda district alone, around 302 properties are counted as former assets of the Albanian Red Cross. In Shkodër there are around 200 more properties. In Tirana, in addition to several buildings, this humanitarian association also claims ownership of 33 hectares of agricultural land. Its claims extend to Durrës and other towns and areas of the country. “We are still in the process of preparing the documentation proving the Red Cross’s ownership of the properties in question,” Pandora Ketri, Secretary General of the Albanian Red Cross, told the newspaper. “But the process is moving very slowly because we lack specialists. We have the relevant documentation for the vast majority of the properties, but there are also quite a few others whose ownership by the organization must be documented.” Thus, a book entitled “Albania in 1937” also provides an inventory of the Red Cross’s assets, which includes, among other things, Divjaka Forest—15 kilometers long and 2 kilometers wide—and the Xhafzotaj Zootechnical Station, covering 600 hectares. The book states that both these properties the villages of Kryezi and Përlesch in the Tirana district as property of the organization. Two nurses dressed in the Red Cross’s typical uniform 10 such properties have been privatized. “Our organization is a legal entity,” Ketri continues, the fields of health and social welfare, as well as for reducing the impact and for all the Red Cross’s activities.” Saranda, by the Municipal Enterprise,

. TIRANA — Delays in preparing the documents that will substantiate former owners’ claims for the return of property in the Tirana district. The reason is the heavy workload of the Mortgage Office, which must deal not only with the numerous claims of former owners but also with dozens of other requests from citizens to privatize homes. This delay has caused concern among some former owners: of the 4,000, only 1,000 have been able to submit their claims for the return of their properties. Meanwhile, mid-November is the deadline set by the Law for former owners to document their claims. Only an extension of the deadline can solve the problem.

“Nyala,” coming from Durrës, was stopped in Brindisi . Bound for Sudan: the ammunition ship sets sail again. DURRËS - (p.re.) — The embargo imposed on Serbia was in force on the night between 4 and 5 October. Having departed from the port of Durrës, the ship was escorted to Brindisi so its cargo could be checked. Its hold was loaded with 1,079 tons of ammunition: in all, 40,000 crates of cartridges for automatic rifles, worth—in the international market—several million dollars. Fearing that the ammunition was destined for Serbia, the Italian authorities followed and checked a series of procedures concerning the contracts and the cargo’s destination, as indicated by the documents. While awaiting the results, the ship “Nyala” was anchored a mile and a half from the port of Brindisi: as it was carrying explosives, it was not allowed into port for safety reasons. The inspection confirmed that the ammunition’s destination was indeed the port of Digan Suakin in Sudan, a country not subject to the embargo. The ship was able to set sail again only on 12 October. In February, another ship, “Vela Luka,” loaded with explosives and departing from Durrës, was stopped by WEU forces. The explosives were destined for Slovenia. In that case too, after a lengthy inspection, the ship was released.

His role in the event of war . Commission defines the President’s powers. TIRANA — The chapter “The President of the Republic” has been completed by the Commission drafting the Draft Constitution of the Republic of Albania. At its first meeting, on Tuesday, this Commission determined the powers of the President of the Republic. Among other things, it approved that the President guarantees respect for the Constitution, the laws, and people’s rights and freedoms. In relation to the latest elections. In special cases, he also attends and chairs meetings of the Council of Ministers. With regard to Parliament, the President, on the Prime Minister’s proposal, may dissolve Parliament before the end of the legislature under certain conditions. In the field of defence, he has the authority to declare a state of emergency when Parliament cannot meet and to declare a state of war in the event of armed aggression against the Republic of Albania. The President is also Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. As for the Government, he appoints the Prime Minister and accepts the latter’s resignation. the Armed Forces.

Millions of lekë owed, but the coffers are empty . Doesn’t pay the bills: RTV without a phone. TIRANA - (Ar.Me.) — Radio-Televizioni Shqiptar has gone into debt. And for this it has also been punished. Many telephone numbers have been disconnected, and [?] it can no longer respond. For the time being, it is the only television station in the world forced to operate without telephones. What is more, for now it cannot put pressure on its creditor. Since January of this year until now, it has not paid a single telephone bill. And it has quite a few telephones—around 30. The story began [?] ago, when Telekom decided to disconnect all of Radio-Televizioni’s telephones. The bills have been recorded, and discussions with the managers of Telekom’s Tirana branch have taken place. For the first eight months alone, the amount Radio-Televizioni owes it approaches 1 million lekë. Now, after 10 months, this figure has nearly increased tenfold, since the rates have also gone up. After 9 such months, nearly all of RTV’s telephone numbers have been disconnected. Only two numbers remain: one for the Director General and one for the Information Department. Only then were both parties forced to speak seriously with each other. Telekom does not seem willing to overlook Radio-Televizioni’s difficult financial situation. And it has given its word: in a few days the telephones will be working again. RTV, for its part, has also sworn that as soon as its budget improves, the debts will be settled too. The Radio and Television building

. All the results of the Cup matches. Italian teams do well in the second round. ON PAGE 2. The number of copies has fallen sharply. Publishing houses at risk. The Albanian book goes to Frankfurt. ON PAGE 3.

. FOOD AID FROM THE EC ARRIVES IN DURRËS — A third steamship carrying food aid from the European Community has once again arrived at the port of Durrës. While the unloading of the 6,500-ton wheat cargo from the ship “Craziest Dream” is nearing completion, the ships “Maderia” and “Ines,” each carrying 5,000 tons, have entered the port. Likewise, two other ships, “Recall Bur” and “Herguner,” have brought 7,500 tons of wheat each. A MILITARY DELEGATION FROM THE UNITED KINGDOM IN TIRANA — A British military delegation arrived in Tirana for a two-day visit. It is headed by Lord Cranborne, Minister of State at the Ministry of Defence. Cranborne, who is also the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, will also meet Albania’s most senior state and military leaders. The signing of an agreement between the defence ministries of the two countries is also envisaged. A HEALTH CENTRE PLANNED FOR ISHMI — 32,000 dollars will be invested in building a modern health centre in the Ishmi area. As part of this project, which addresses the difficult living conditions in remote villages, transport and humanitarian assistance are also envisaged, with foreign humanitarian organizations providing the assistance needed to build the centre. The centre will be equipped for procedures and operations, and will also have a laboratory, a pharmacy, a school and a maternity ward.