The waste amounts to 15 million dollars TRIAL / Today, 10 former officials of the communist regime before the judges EDMOND LAÇI TIRANA — They lived in 131 luxurious villas and spent millions of dollars to satisfy their desires. And then the most unbelievable accusation: they used the State Treasury's gold to have their teeth fixed. Today, for the first time since the fall of Hoxha's dictatorship, ten of the highest-ranking former PPSH officials will appear before the Court. This is the first trial in Albania concerning the luxuries of the old communist regime. What remains to be established now is whether all the “comforts”—considered by the Prosecutor's Office to be excessive and unlawful waste by the ten defendants—are sufficient to substantiate the charge of “violating citizens' equality by creating privileges.” The 19 pages of the indictment describe, for each of the former regime officials, the luxury and wealth they had secured through “top secret” decisions granting them privileged treatment. The investigations, which reach back to 1952—the year the Directorate of Reception was also established—have now been completed, revealing a veritable trove of figures documenting extreme waste. According to the investigation material, all the defendants actively influenced the Directorate of Reception to provide them with the best and most comfortable conditions, even though the Constitution approved by those very same people stated: “All citizens are equal before the law; no restriction or privilege in rights and duties is recognized, even on the grounds of social position.” In the period 1986–1990 alone, 700 officials and workers were assigned to serve them within the Directorate of Reception, taking care of their 131 residential and holiday villas. In addition, dedicated production lines operated for their needs, including the sausage line at the Meat Combine in Tirana; locomotives and armchairs at the Food Combine in Tirana; the modern Kamza Livestock Complex for meat and milk; the raki and wine department in Durrës; beer production in Korçë; citrus plantations in Sarandë; apple orchards in Korçë and Dibër; a dairy and cheese facility in Libohovë; and upholstery and cosmetics production in Tirana. However, checks of the relevant records show that the defendants still obtained most industrial and food products through imports. Among the ten defendants, the Prosecutor's Office calculated the greatest amount of waste for Qirjako Mihali, while Vangjel Çerrava was listed last, even though his expenses were only about 2 million lekë lower. Without exception, after 1984 all ten defendants expanded and renovated their holiday and residential villas, although none of these villas had fewer than 10 spacious rooms. But the indictment against the ten former senior regime officials also exposes facts that were previously completely unknown to the public. Thus, with the exception of Miska, Çërrava and Çeliku, the other seven defendants drew gold from the State Treasury to have their teeth fitted with gold coverings, without paying for any of it. The value of the gold alone amounted to 34,812 lekë. The medical treatments provided by our state abroad constitute another chapter in the defendants' waste. Through various party directives and decisions, gifts were given to doctors or large amounts of foreign currency were withdrawn from our embassies there. The documents refer to thousands of Swiss francs, dollars, lire, drachmas and schillings. All the expenses calculated by the investigative body for the ten accused amount to 92,888,801 lekë, which, converted at the exchange rate of the time, corresponds to nearly 15 million dollars. The indictment states that the defendants—who held legislative and executive powers under the regime—once again acted intentionally and jointly, proposed, reviewed, approved and authorized privileged treatment for themselves and their families solely through various party decisions. The trial begins today at 10:00 a.m. To get to the heart of the matter, the Court will also sit on Sunday. Tirana Court million lekë less in expenses. Without exception, all the defendants — after 1984 — added to and reconstructed their unfinished residential villas, even though …less. Without exception, all the defendants — after 1984 —

TIRANA — (c. bo.) — Twelve children admitted to the psychiatric hospital in Tepelenë have been rescued. But there, amid filth, frost, and vermin, hell continues for another 27 patients. The only good news — in this terrible story denounced by Gazeta Shqiptare — comes from the directors of Tirana’s “Home for Children with the Most Severe Mental Disabilities”: “The staff of our institution, together with the Swiss humanitarian association A.S.E.D., have decided to take in our hospital those children who were living in the Tepelenë Hospital in terrible conditions.” They explained that this was an urgent decision, also intended to prevent any of the others from suffering the tragic fate of the 14-year-old girl who died of the cold a few days ago. But, as we said, hell in Tepelenë continues. The two photographs we are publishing (one was taken a few hours before the 12 children were transferred to Tirana) provide dramatic evidence. In that hospital, where there are no windows, heating, or beds, the patients live in conditions like animals: they eat on the floor, walk around naked, and sleep on the ground, while outside there is more than ten centimeters of snow. There are still 27 patients in Tepelenë today, all adults, along with two others who arrived here after the hell of Berat was closed and who, because of their age, could not be admitted to the center in Tirana. The images arriving from the hospital are, unfortunately, a horror in the face of which conscience cannot remain silent. “We are outraged by the attitude of the Ministry of Health, which is responsible for these institutions,” writes the staff Disabilities.” We do not know who is responsible for this tragedy. We nevertheless believe that all of us, without exception, have a duty to intervene. Gazeta Shqiptare will continue to write about the hell of Tepelenë, so that one day nobody can say, by way of excuse, “I didn’t know.”

TIRANA — («p.re.) “The plan circulating for a new partition of Kosovo between Albania and Serbia is a provocation that could lead to further war in the Balkans.” Eduard Selami, recently elected chairman by the Assembly of the Democratic Party, rejected at his press conference the insinuations circulating about the possibility of a compromise between Albania and Serbia on the Kosovo issue. The leader of the governing party thus adheres to the Albanian Government's declared position on resolving the issue of the Province of Kosovo on the basis of the principles of the CSCE and other international peaceful norms.

— “We support the sovereignty and inviolability of your country's borders, but we will also never stop seeking the fulfillment of the rights of Albanians in Macedonia,” Pjetër Arbnori, Speaker of the People's Assembly, told Nikola Todorçevski, representative of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia in Albania, during a meeting in Tirana. The fulfillment of these rights, he added, does not harm Macedonia, because the Albanians living there have always been a factor for peace and stability.

— Albanian media should be changed so that they can better inform public opinion, especially the younger generation, about ways to protect against the risk of AIDS, described as the disease of the century: this was the aim of the National Seminar held in Tirana by the Ministry of Health and Environmental Protection, in cooperation with the World Health Organization (OMS). With preventive vaccines against this disease unavailable, information and education through the press remain important preventive tools.

— The success in expanding into new sales markets has had a positive effect, enabling the Golaj mine to increase production and significantly reduce the stockpiles accumulated in previous years. Thus, this mine is one of the few units in this area operating at considerable capacity. In 11 months, more than 28 thousand tons of copper ore have been extracted and a further 36 tons have been processed. The value of sold market production has reached 500 million lekë.

Work has begun on asphalting TIRANA — (Ar. Me.) — At last, work has begun to repair Tirana’s roads. Around 9 million lekë will be invested to cover the potholes and trenches opened last summer throughout the capital. All the work will be carried out by the Asphalt Enterprise, while payment will be made by KESH (Albanian Electric Power Corporation). The trenches were opened in Tirana’s main roads during the first phase of restructuring the capital’s electricity system. The work — carried out by KESH in cooperation with the powerful Italian company ENEL — was completed several months ago. But the roads remained open. Work to repair them and restore them to their previous condition became possible after a contract was signed between KESH and the Asphalt Enterprise. The first work began on Dibra Street. First the trenches will be filled, and then a gravel layer will be laid. Only after that will they be fully asphalted. According to the current work schedule, it should be completed within a few months. Nevertheless, Tirana’s roads will not remain paved for long. Work to reconstruct the capital’s water supply system will reopen the troublesome trenches and potholes.

TIRANA / A tough decision to help citizens Order: “Work seven days” TIRANA — (Ar. Me.) — The weekend may be spent at the office, too. This is the latest news from Tirana Municipality. This is a unique occurrence, and the only case in Albania: the revenue offices are open seven days a week, while Albanians have been working for more than a year to make it so that there are not just one, but seven days. An internal order was issued by Mr. Kall Këlmen? from Tirana Municipality’s office, instructing all revenue offices to work continuously from 7:00 a.m. until midnight. In order for the work to finish at 8:00 in the evening, the employees … …wait until 1:00 p.m. On Sundays, only the shfat are on duty, and they must be available to the public from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. In this way, Tirana Municipality may become the only Albanian state institution to be fully on call. “This is the purpose of this schedule,” its employees told Gazeta Shqiptare, “it is meant to …”. “The week does not have more than seven days...” COW Psychological interpretation: As a symbol of the mother in her role as provider, housekeeper, and caretaker of domestic activities, her appearance in a dream offers the dreamer a comforting and reassuring vision: it seems that something is troubling us, and that the unconscious is taking care to dispel it with soothing images. Predictions: In the Bible, the story of the Pharaoh who dreamed of seven fat cows and seven thin ones: a dream that foretold seven years of prosperity and seven years of poverty. Even today, fat cows are believed to foretell wealth, while thin cows foretell poverty. Fattening a cow is a happy omen of success. SUITCASE Psychological interpretation: The suitcase is a symbol of a woman. Predictions: Changes and journeys are coming. Journey Everyone dreams when they sleep. This is an entirely normal fact, except that sometimes dreams are so beautiful or so bad that they leave you astonished and amazed when you wake up. But dreams can also be “warnings,” that is, they may contain a prediction, a warning about what may happen in the future. Every week, Gazeta Shqiptare offers its readers an explanation and interpretation of the objects and situations most often dreamed about. VALLEY Psychological interpretation: As with any landscape, the interpretation varies according to the type of vegetation that characterizes it. In general, a green valley between mountains, sheltered and crossed by calm rivers, represents a safe, peaceful place where we want to take refuge to escape the problems that cause us anxiety. The meaning becomes negative, suggesting isolation and a long period of it, when the valley is barren, swept by strong winds, without sunlight and uninhabited. Predictions: Wishes fulfilled. STEAM OR SMOKE Psychological interpretation: Light, ethereal, immaterial, smoke or steam represents a connection with the beyond. It appears in dreams to symbolize holiness, a dead person, or journeys. …the feeling that life is uncertain. There is, however, a completely different interpretation of these symbols: the poor visibility associated with them indicates our difficulty in seeing clearly into a problem or into ourselves. In this case, smoke and steam indicate fundamental confusion. Predictions: Smoke: false constructions and false friends. Steam: deception. VAMPIRE Psychological interpretation: In the vampire we may recognize someone who is wearing us out, “sucking” all our energy. It may be a partner, but also our boss or, if a colleague or a parent. But, in general, we have this dream when we are very tired, morally low, and dominated by a person and fear. Predictions: The idle will take advantage of you.

TIRANA — (c. bo.) — Twelve children admitted to the psychiatric hospital in Tepelenë have been rescued.

All the figures on luxury TIRANA — (e.l.) Here are the amounts of all the excessive expenses calculated for the ten defendants, on which the Prosecutor's Office has based its charge: “Commission, in collaboration, of the criminal offence of violating citizens' equality by creating privileges”: Qirjako Mihali — 10,210,626 lekë Pali Miska — 10,180,626 lekë Besnik Bekteshi — 8,298,801 lekë Vangjel Çerrava — 8,089,467 lekë Prokop Murra — 9,780,626 lekë Llambi Gjegeprifti — 10,180,626 lekë Muho Asllani — 8,298,801 lekë Hajredin Çeliku — 8,298,801 lekë Foto Çami — 9,465,801 lekë Lenka Çuko — 10,084,626 lekë

German sentenced to life imprisonment: a neo-Nazi He caused the murder of a Turkish woman and two children ON PAGE 2 Students prefer cohabitation and children Most do not want to get married ON PAGE 3

Me and the dreams