INTERVIEW / A Carabinieri colonel speaks about safeguarding the Treasure The Albanian masterpiece is now being sought in Italy too INTERVIEW / A Carabinieri colonel speaks about safeguarding the Treasure The hunt for the epitaph The Albanian masterpiece is now being sought in Italy too From our editorial staff The search for the famous perpetrators of the theft of the Epitaph of Glavenica, carried out last week at the National Historical Museum in Tirana, began yesterday in Italy. The commander of the central Carabinieri unit for the protection of cultural heritage, Colonel Roberto Conforti, who has been involved in major investigations into works stolen from museums all over the world, immediately engaged his best investigators to find out whether the most important work of Albanian art has been sold to Italian collectors or is still on national territory awaiting to be put on the illicit market. "The news of the theft in Albania," said Colonel Conforti, "we learned almost immediately from 'Gazeta Shqiptare'. Yesterday we were informed, on request, by Interpol as well. We read about this rather important episode here in Italy too in your newspaper. From that moment a special investigative mechanism was set in motion to verify whether there had been any demand in the Italian illicit market for that work of great artistic and historical value. In our favor, however, is the fact that the international alert about this theft was issued immediately. Thanks to the information we had from your newspaper we were able to inform the entire police world." "We do not rule out," added the colonel, "the possibility that the entire stolen haul may already be on Italian territory. In other similar cases, works of art stolen in Albania have arrived by sea in Italy and then been sent from here to other international markets. The most recent case was the theft of the 'Proskinitarion' and one of the seven manuscripts of the Albanian church's treasures, and the story of the 'Commento de Nativara e Silicis', which had arrived after a theft committed against the Albanian government by an Italian. Colonel Conforti, who is only a few hours away from one of the most important operations that enabled the Carabinieri to find a gang in Vicenza, 'La Madonna del fieno', stolen a century ago, a work by Renaissance painter Raffaello, has declared war on the perpetrators of this theft in Tirana. "Naturally, the kind of stolen goods," said the investigator, "both for their great value (we have read that the four icons are worth several billion) and for their historical value, can interest only a certain type of buyer. Another element that I think will greatly help us bring the investigation to a close is the fact that all these icons are works of art published in international catalogues. This greatly reduces the possibility of the illicit market." "If those works," concludes Colonel Conforti, "important for Albania's history, have passed through our country or are still in Italy, within a few days we will be able to confirm one or the other hypothesis." The Epitaph of Glavenica and, above, Colonel Conforti Franco Giuliano

Nursing institute Elbasan, construction of the higher school will be completed in September Nursing institute The new diploma is also valid abroad Elbasan, construction of the higher school will be completed in September ELBASAN — From now on, hospital nurses too will be graduates. This is also the goal of the establishment of the Higher Medical Institute in Elbasan, whose works began in October '93 and are expected to be completed by September of this year. The lack of teachers in the medical system made the graduation of nurses necessary — Ruzhdi Qatipi, head of the Education Office, explains to Gazeta Shqiptare — this workforce will serve as an important link in hospital medicine. Fully financed on the basis of the humanitarian aid that the Caritas association has granted to Albania, this institution will initially cater to a limited number of students. "The admission criteria for high-school graduates," Qatipi explains, "to the nursing faculty will be strict at the higher education faculty." Therefore, for future students, knowledge of the Italian language will be essential, because in the Institute Italian teachers and lecturers in this field will work and give periodic lessons. But the most important thing is that the students who will be awarded the completion diploma of this Institute will be among the first Albanian university graduates whose diploma will also be valid outside Albania. This is because it will be harmonized with those of similar institutes in Europe. The construction of the Institute, which must definitely be ready for the new university year, has also encountered problems. According to Qatipi, the intervention of the Education enterprises and the municipality to speed up the pace of construction has normalized the situation. The only remaining problem is customs, through which all the equipment for this Institute must pass. It is planned to equip it with the most modern teaching materials and laboratory equipment. But — according to Education officials — all these materials must be subject to customs rules in Albania. "The high tariffs that have been imposed have made it very difficult to bring in all the material base," explains the head of Caritas — "at present some of it remains blocked at Customs." Current efforts by local officials are focused on the possibility of obtaining these goods on the grounds that they are intended for schools, so that in September '94 it may welcome its first students. Mentor Kikia

State Control report TIRANA — Numerous abuses in the sale of fuel continue. The mixing of diesel and petrol with water, as well as tampering with measuring devices, remains a real and worrying phenomenon. These abuses were precisely uncovered these days during an inspection carried out by the State Control Commission at several fuel distribution points in the districts of Krujë, Fushë-Krujë and Rrëshen. Thus, one of the most worrying problems is beginning to receive attention: abuses involving fuel. More than 200 liters of water — poured into the tanks of distribution points — were verified only in the inspections carried out in Krujë and Rrëshen. In the units of these towns, large fuel surpluses were also found. In Krujë, 400 liters of gasoline and 200 liters of petrol were found. Meanwhile in Laç there was an excess of 1,531 liters of diesel, and at one such point the shortage that had been found was blocked. Differences in fuel — 183 liters of excess diesel and 272 liters of missing petrol — were also noted in the city of Rrëshen. Abuses involving fuel are not limited only to mixing it with other substances. There are many cases in which measuring devices give manipulated readings in order to show larger quantities than the actual ones. Thus, from the inspections carried out in Krujë, Fushë-Krujë and Rrëshen, the measuring devices show about 0.2 liters less fuel for every liter of diesel. At the same time, illegal fuel trading has also become a troubling problem. The phenomenon — which has also been denounced several times by the mass media — continues to be present. While there is no diesel or petrol at the sale points, a few meters away two vagabonds filled with jerrycans of fuel are selling it at higher prices. It was the increase in the number of cars in Albania which brought with it the inevitable increase in the thirst for fuel. It is precisely this great demand — as well as the occasional shortage of diesel and petrol — that has turned a very profitable but often dangerous and abusive business into a crooked one. The discovery of these cases is not the first. It is more than proven that this phenomenon is at work, and not only in these districts. el

HOTELS STILL CLOSED IN THE CITY OF BURREL — It has been more than a month since the two Burrel hotels, 'Mati' and 'Sporti', have remained closed. The reason is the management of food inspection at these hotels. Thus, until this issue is finally resolved by the court, the hotels will continue to remain closed. PRIVATIZATION IN THE DISTRICT OF LAÇ NEARLY COMPLETING ITS FIRST PHASE — The first phase of privatization in the district of Laç is moving toward completion. So far all state-owned houses as well as several other sectors of the economy have been privatized. Around 70 other properties — belonging to former owners — are awaiting the decision of the relevant commission at the Municipality. Documents are also being prepared for the privatization of several other enterprises and factories. THE FINANCIAL AUDIT OF TWO JOINT FIRMS IN GJIROKASTËR — The irregularity of two financial accounts was the result of the inspection carried out on two Albanian-Greek joint ventures in the district of Gjirokastër. These two companies, 'Anonime-Kaforie' and 'Alba-Co' — according to the conclusions of the Financial Police and the State Control Branch — did not record all their activity in their accounting books. IN KORÇË, A JOINT ENTERPRISE FOR INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTS — The creation of an Albanian-Greek joint enterprise was proposed, which will carry out the production and trade of textile goods. The Albanian side has made available the joint enterprise’s capital: the building and five sewing machines.

TIRANA — Taxes on the import of nitrogen fertilizers will henceforth be lower. The decision — announced the day before yesterday by Parliament — provides for a reduction of the customs tariff from 30 percent to 5 percent. This reduction is intended as support for Albanian private farmers and as an incentive for increased agricultural production. The decision — which may be reviewed in the future — was taken in order to affect the import of fertilizers. At present, none of the existing factories or plants for the production of nitrogen fertilizers is operating in Albania.

Administration TIRANA — There will be a new appointment to lead the Financial Police in Albania. Thus, on 16 February the prime minister is expected to order the dismissal and appoint in his place the acting deputy minister of Finance — now assigned to a sector of the Ministry of Finance — as director of Lezha, who previously had worked as a senior official in the branch of the National Intelligence Service for the district of Durrës. After the creation of the Financial Police structure, it is expected to continue. The Lezha branch is the third one to be led by him, while previously Hysen and Ndin had held the post. Gazeta Shqiptare has learned that movement is expected on 16 February. [?]

The crime was committed in Greece for 130,000 drachmas VLORE — The Court’s decision, on final date. His sentence of 9 December. His sentence by the Court of Cassation. The body appointed by the President of the Republic for ordering the execution, after the matter will pass to the police firing squad, which will carry out the decision. Ruzhdi Cela is in Tirana to be executed, as has happened in many other cases. The most recent, last January, was the least successful when the firing squad, in the capital, was to execute a man from Tropoja who had raped a 9-year-old several years later. On 4 sides the defendant struck barbarically, leaving sufficient evidence. [?] He was in Vlora after having killed his friend, Sazan Brahimi. The crime is particularly cruel and the motive the most ordinary. Cela wanted to steal a lot of money from Brahimi, without wanting to, as it turned out, from the trading activity they had carried out together in Patras, Greece. To take the money (about 200,000 lek), Cela took advantage of his friend’s closeness and killed him. [?] "The crime and the death sentences tried to save him from the firing squad by asking the Court of Cassation to re-examine them and accept the ruling, but they were not accepted. In fact, the special feature of this case is that the crime took place in Greece, but nevertheless Cela was sentenced to death. 'We wanted to set an example,' explains the president of the Cassation Court, Zef Broj, to Gazeta Shqiptare, nobody should think that, when the crime is committed abroad, one can evade the courts of our country for an offense punishable here as well. The defendant had killed Sazan when the deceased was returning from Greece with a sum of money. After dividing the money between the two, he threatened to expose the case and committed the crime. The issue of the death penalty will remain in Albania, but the great support of public opinion and at that time this type of punishment. It is considered the only punishment, albeit tragic, for tackling the problem of crime, which is increasing more and more. It was difficult to put before the public in an inattentive society. Since then, those condemned are executed by firing squad only, with the memory kept secret. p.re

Checks against illegal trafficking. Here is how the fraud is avoided Port of Bari, two Albanians arrested Checks against illegal trafficking. Here is how the fraud is avoided Stolen cars heading to Durrës Port of Bari, two Albanians arrested DURRES — They were at the port of Bari, near the ferry that was supposed to take them to Durrës, preparing the documents for two of their cars, when the police inspectors approached. Thus the two Albanian men were caught with stolen vehicles intended to be put on an Albanian market, where there is a market for used cars. The two Albanian criminals, Shpend Duma and Elton Shaku, 10 years old, [sic] were arrested and taken to the prison of Bari. The vehicles were a four-wheel drive vehicle stolen in Milan and a Golf GTD stolen in Taranto. "For some time now the Italian police, together with Interpol and the Albanian police, have been carrying out numerous checks to block the trafficking of cars stolen in Italy and then brought to Albania. In recent months, only in the port of Bari, several dozen stolen cars have been blocked, all of them destined for Durrës. Another suspicious loading point is Brindisi and Otranto, ports from which vehicles depart for Vlorë. If all imported and Italian vehicles are recognized, then the car one wishes to buy is valid. The first element of suspicion is the price. A car registered late and in good condition is not sold cheaply in Italy. When it is offered at much more favorable prices, one must suspect. Above all, one should always ask the seller whether he can show the original car documents, or those issued by the Italian customs authorities, with the original stamp. p.re Controls at the port of Bari

INSIDE The Serbs speak of withdrawal ON PAGE 2 INSIDE UN blue helmets defend Sarajevo The Serbs speak of withdrawal ON PAGE 2

Tirana, the districts on trial The leader plays against Besa Top scorer Ujka leaves Albania ON PAGE 3