This morning the first hearing begins for ten former top officials of the regime. In the courtroom: 137 witnesses, 19 volumes with 5,000 pages... TRIAL The first hearing for ten former top officials of the regime begins this morning. In the courtroom: 137 witnesses, 19 volumes with 5,000 pages... Ramiz Alia, the hours of judgment The former president faces 25 years in prison TIRANA — Today the doors of the Tirana Court will open also for the successor to dictator Hoxha, former President Ramiz Alia. Having already appeared twice before Albanian judges, today Alia will no longer testify for others, because this time the accusation is directed at him personally. Today at 9:00 a.m., the chairman of the trial panel, deputy judge Andi Çeliku, will be the first person to address publicly — in the name of Justice — the former number one in Albania, using the term “defendant”. Together with Alia in this trial are also nine of the highest former party and state officials of the communist regime. There are 60 pages of indictment — prepared by the investigative authorities — which will be defended in court by prosecutor Neshat Fana. At the same time, the prosecutor and the judges Andi Çeliku, Besire Bitincka and Arben Kostandini have at their disposal 33 volumes, which include all the documentary evidence collected by the Prosecutor’s Office. In fact, only 19 volumes, with around 5,000 pages, concern Alia and the other defendants in this case, because the other material also relates to other members of the communist leadership, who have already been tried. Meanwhile, a long list of witnesses is expected to be requested: 137 people, among them employees of the old state and party apparatus, subordinates or colleagues of the defendants, but also people harmed by the actions — now considered political — of the defendants in this trial. With only a few hours left before the start of the historic trial against Alia and nine other officials of the old regime, none of the defendants’ claims regarding various problems around the investigative process has yet been confirmed. Although the trial — taking into account the other trials of former communist leaders and the one concerning the Italian aid scandal — is initially expected to last about 50 days, the not-so-good health and advanced age of many of the defendants may still bring surprises. While Çami — under house arrest — and Myftiu and Marko — in the prison hospital in Tirana — have long declared that they have health problems, various sources also confirm this for Avni, but without calling into question his ability to appear in the courtroom. Among Alia, Marko, Myftiu and Carçani, charges carrying up to 25 years of imprisonment under the Criminal Code are pending, while for Isai and Stefani, Çela, Mino, Ramizi and Haderi, the penalty can be up to 10 years, not forgetting that each of them is charged under two articles at once, as well as for the criminal offense of complicity, which means a further aggravation of the defendants’ position. (Ed. La.) The defendants TIRANA — Here are the charges brought by the Tirana Prosecutor’s Office against the 10 defendants RAMIZ ALIA, ADIL CARÇANI, MANUSH MYFTIU, RITA MARKO — “Misappropriation of state property in complicity, with a total value of 2,883,502 lekë, and abuse of office in complicity, resulting in the unlawful violation of citizens’ fundamental rights for the purpose of class struggle policy.” 47/78 lekë SIMON STEFANI, HEKURAN ISAI — “Abuse of office in complicity, resulting in the unlawful violation of citizens’ fundamental rights to the detriment of people’s lives, including killings at the border and violations of citizens’ equality through the granting of privileges.” RINOVI ÇELA, RRAPI MINO — “Abuse of office in complicity, resulting in the unlawful violation of citizens’ fundamental rights.” XYLYFAR MAZI[?] — “Abuse of office in complicity, resulting in the unlawful violation of citizens’ fundamental rights to the detriment of people’s lives.” XHEL ADERI — “Abuse of office in complicity, resulting in violations of citizens’ equality through discriminatory practice.” Former President Ramiz Alia as he enters the courtroom

After questioning the negotiator, the full documentation of the file compiled by the French investigators is also being handled Albanian prosecutors return from France TIRANA — “We also heard the explanations of Nikola Arsidi[?].” This is Arben Qeleshi, the Prosecutor of Tirana and one of the three members of the Albanian Justice delegation, who tells Gazeta Shqiptare about the results of the investigation and the suspicions in France regarding the Arsidi scandal. Thus, for the first time — after 16 months of investigations in Albania — Albanian prosecutors finally managed to question directly one of the protagonists of the scandal, a 1.6 million-dollar bill of exchange whose arrest in Albania had led to the arrest of many people, among them the highest banking authorities. It was Fatos Dervishi, the Deputy Prosecutor of Albania, and Arben Qeleshi and Genc Gjokutaj from the Tirana Prosecutor’s Office, who — within the framework of a joint Franco-Albanian rogatory commission — led one of the most important steps toward concluding the investigation into the biggest scandal the country has ever had, with the French negotiator Nikola Arsidi. We can state that the rogatory commission successfully carried out all its tasks and that we have now also obtained the complete documentation of the Arsidi file,” Qeleshi says to Gazeta Shqiptare after arriving from France. Even though, because of investigative secrecy, no details have yet been given about the explanations of Nikola Arsidi and the other persons. “From the questioning by the three Albanian prosecutors — it is definitively confirmed that the French negotiator had been charged and was under the control of the Paris Prosecutor’s Office. After the completion of the tasks in Paris by the rogatory commission — continues prosecutor Qeleshi — it was first necessary for the delegation to come to Tirana and for the judiciary and its assistants to work on implementing rogatory commissions for all crimes in the economy.” According to Qeleshi, the judiciary is also responsible for the investigations in the Arsidi file. Meanwhile, the second international initiative of the Albanian prosecutors — after that of Rome concerning the Italian aid scandal — consists of a rogatory group dealing with “special” cases of theft in the field of Justice. The meetings with the Director of External Relations at the French Ministry of Justice, the head of the French Rogatory Commissions with all states of the world at the Ministry of Justice, the Deputy Prosecutor General of Paris and the First Adviser to the President of the Paris Court of Appeal, had confirmed — according to prosecutor Qeleshi — the first signs of concrete cooperation between Albanian Justice and that of France. “In these meetings — concludes prosecutor Qeleshi — Albania was considered the most favored among the other Eastern countries in the field of Justice.” Tirana Prosecutor’s Office Edmond Laçi Tirana Prosecutor's Office

— The end of a young child from the Fier area was truly heartbreaking. Just a few days ago, Erges Beluli Meta, 8 years old, drowned in the waters of a river that flowed near the house where he lived. Little Erges was swept away by the current of a river in Mbrostar — against which he was unable to resist, thus losing his life. But this tragedy has been joined — at least until now — by another bitter fact: his body has still not been found. For 5 days, divers from the public order forces have been searching, but so far these efforts have brought no hope. E.M.

The operation is supported by the Police TIRANA — An operation has just begun aimed at putting an end to the theft of drinking water by residents of several villages around Tirana. The initiative, supported by the police forces as well, comes from the Municipal Waterworks Company of the capital. At present, the main “strike” is concentrated in the Laknas area, where the main station of a water pipeline is located, stretching for kilometers all the way to the Packaging Factory. This pipeline — with a capacity of 10-170 liters of drinking water per second — has for 2 years failed to achieve the purpose for which it was created. The water supply for the area of the city of the same name as Kinostudio. The residents of the villages near the main body of the pipeline have been responsible. Driven by the need for drinking water, they have welded around 100 steel pipes along the aqueduct. Through these underground pipes, water intended to quench citizens’ thirst has long also been used to irrigate agricultural crops. The operation undertaken in recent days aims to destroy the illegal pipelines. At the same time, several public wells will be built from which villagers can draw drinking water. After that, it is hoped that the city’s residents will escape the anxiety of the approaching heat, an anxiety similar to that of the surrounded councilors of an ancient city. an. ste.

Diplomacy TIRANA — The Albanian Ambassador to Sweden, Bardhyl Koka[?], has been removed from office. Official confirmation was given by Foreign Minister Servet Pëllumbi himself during a session of the Albanian Parliament. “Ambassador Kokalar is relieved with responsibility for the mistakes, and our Ministry is never responsible for the way and these mistakes,” said Serreqi[?]. On Tuesday he drew harsh criticism from the press after the publication of the note he had sent to the Swedish Foreign Ministry, asking for the denial of political asylum to an Albanian citizen. According to the same sources, Kokalar had also intervened against Ismail Kadare’s candidacy for the Nobel Prize.

CURSIVE REALITY EDMOND LAÇI DURRËS — It has shaken not only Barcelona and Krijut[?], but also the cargo ship, a Greek ship, “Vlora”, not far from Milan in Italy in its eastern and Campione. It has seemed like a place where the crazed ship “Vlora” is bought only by “Mauro”, and “De Milan”, which to our eyes crosses — not the one with the passengers Vlora — in front of the old Port of Durrës, which more in the wind slipped like frozen slabs of the closed. Another “shkupi[?]” of this hidden and hungry ship with the forces spart of the port “milian” which Albania and the north passed in the night in the second. Port of Durrës

Charge: ties to the Greek secret service The Tirana Prosecutor’s Office orders the arrest of seven members TIRANA — Six local deputies of “Omonia”, arrested some time ago during a blitz operation by the Albanian police, are now also accused of espionage. Theodhor Bejzhan, Irakli Sirma, Kosta Qirja from Gjirokastra, Vangjel Paparisto from Saranda and Panajot Marto and Kosta Çavo, residents of Delvinë, are now being held in prison also under the serious accusation that they “maintained ties with the Greek secret services”. Jisu Kolo had previously been charged with “possession of weapons without a permit and anti-state propaganda”. Now the Tirana Prosecutor’s Office, after further investigations, has reached its conclusion on the documented grounds that the arrested persons are closely linked also to the local organization of “Omonia” or are persons known for their activity in the areas of the Greek minority. The news — confirmed by the Tirana Prosecutor’s Office — came only in the days after the press conference held by the Albanian organization of Greeks (during it, Soti Uli?), chairman of “Omonia”, had asked and urged the highest Albanian state authorities to intervene for the release of the six arrested. The leadership of “Omonia” had also put forward further requests for it to be included in a local “increase in deaths”? Among the most important demands of this swelling in “Omonia” and of the organization in a Greek union, the use of two languages and two national symbols. All these developments are taking place at a time when, in diplomatic terms and in the verifications for the three efforts between the two states to improve relations, there has also been an obstacle after the verification of the defendants of serious terrorism where more is written in the address of Easter. Meanwhile, after the first meeting in the office of Foreign Minister Serreqi and Papulias, they agreed to meet in Tirana to discuss the problems that still exist between the two countries. The willingness to influence the progress of relations grows through concrete acts and so does President Sali Berisha himself. Answering a question from a Greek journalist (J. u ten), Berisha had said: “I agree to continue to Athens, delegate, there if they invite me.” (Va. bac.)

The Coca Cola plant built in 83 days Inaugurated by President Berisha ON THE LAST PAGE Two million in Mecca, a great pilgrimage Muslims at the temple of Muhammad ON PAGE 2

KORÇË, THE BEER FACTORY WILL START PRODUCTION — Production, including this beer in Korçë, will begin soon. After a long period — during which the enterprise had served to pay for buying an improvised technological structure — this brewery was brought to completion, with production processes in the first days of July. Specialists predict that its beer will be of high quality and will be able to compete not only in the Albanian market but also abroad. DURRËS, SOON THE CITY WITH THE MOST DRINKING WATER — The drinking water problem in the city of Durrës will perhaps soon be solved. The Ministry of Construction and the Waterworks Company in Durrës are now examining a major project under implementation on the rehabilitation of supply to the district. This project was prepared as a study by a team of experts from Italy and Australia. Thus, the precise causes of the entire network have been calculated, and other blocking causes along it have been identified, which — according to specialists — reach 50 percent. SARANDË, TEN DEPOSITS OF CITIZENS’ MONEY IN BANKS — The savings of the inhabitants of Sarandë deposited in the Savings Bank branch continue to grow. In the months of this year this increase was 14 percent, while in 1993 it was 58 percent higher than before 1992. SHKODËR, THE THEATER STAGE PRESENTS A PLAY BY JEAN-PAUL SARTRE — It was Jean-Paul Sartre and his play “No Exit” that opened the stage of the “Migjeni” theater in Shkodër. The realization of this play was made possible thanks to cooperation with several artists from France, and it was also a French director who staged it.