Accused of cigarette smuggling and forgery Arben Lika: “I am not guilty” EDMOND LACI TIRANE — Investigations have begun into former MP Arben Lika, who as of Tuesday afternoon has returned without parliamentary immunity. The approval of the request by the Deputy Prosecutor of the Republic, Fatos Dervishi — addressed to the Presidium of the People’s Assembly — coincided exactly with the start of the investigation against him, although throughout the day, until the closing hours, the accused politician had not been summoned to its offices and no investigator had yet appeared for the latest scandal involving smuggling and forgery. “I am not innocent,” Lika declared before his colleagues, with the aim that “the truth be taken to the end”. What remains darkest in the mystery is the way Lika was involved in the latest cigarette-smuggling scandal in our country. “Moreover,” one may say from the request of the Deputy Prosecutor of the Republic, Dervishi, for the lifting of Lika’s parliamentary immunity. According to it, the Prosecutor’s Office has data showing that this deputy, together with other non-parliamentary persons, committed the act of smuggling by bringing in, through humanitarian aid of a hygienic nature, more than 600 cases of cigarettes, as well as forging official documents for this shipment. Also on Tuesday, out of the 12 non-parliamentary persons — detained since Sunday and sent to the Tirane Prison — four were released. They include several customs officers from the Kakavijë border crossing point and the commander of that point, Pellvan Buxheli. Meanwhile, the arrested persons were the only ones who faced the investigators in their case. Because Lika — summoned only on Monday to the offices of the Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic — still retained parliamentary immunity, which was lifted only on Tuesday, when MPs allowed the Prosecutor’s Office to investigate the politician Lika as well, no precautionary measure against him has been confirmed by the investigation authorities. The mystery even deepens further. Lika, who was present during the lifting of his parliamentary immunity, stated: “The people must know who is corrupt and who is not.” In any case, Lika, who has rejected the accusations against him, has promised that other MPs who have been convicted in Albania for corruption should also be investigated like him. All the other reports about Lika and the latest cigarette-smuggling scandal remain unconfirmed. In any case, the number of immunities lifted by the People’s Assembly has now reached five, at least among the MPs elected after 22 March 1992. Among Vasil Puka, Azem Hajdari, Ilir Meta, Fatos Nano and, most recently, Arben Lika, only Palok Ndoj has not been convicted and has not been brought before a court on a draft indictment. The latter, former Prime Minister Nano, is currently precisely in custody over humanitarian aid, so that aid could also reach through customs breaches? The unacceptable accusation against him is on the scene, even though the criminal case has already begun. Parliamentary session Parliament session

TIRANE — The opposition welcomed the Parliament’s decision, but with a degree of reserve — the first step had already been agreed by the PD parliamentary group in Tuesday’s meeting — to lift the parliamentary immunity of MP Arben Lika, against whom the Prosecutor’s Office has raised suspicions of smuggling. “If we remember the decision for a continuous fight against corruption, then this is a positive fact,” Luan Hajdari of the PS told Gazeta Shqiptare. “If the act was carried out to balance political leaders in the PD or for other reasons, then it is not a good thing.” The Democratic Alliance took the same position. Arben Imami said that “the Prosecutor’s request is right, but we must wait; we have long asked for a special anti-corruption commission, but it has still not been created.” (f.b.)

More than 100 closed TIRANE — The cholera epidemic in the capital seems to have “hit” businesses more than people. In just the last five days, the number of commercial establishments closed by inspections carried out by the Hygiene Directorate in cooperation with the law-enforcement forces has exceeded 100, while the fines imposed amount to nearly 70. “The reason for these measures,” Kush Zazo, director of the Hygiene Directorate, told Gazeta Shqiptare, “is the failure to meet hygienic and sanitary conditions, especially the lack of running water, which should at least be ensured by installing tanks.” Special measures also apply to restaurants. There, dishes must remain for 30 minutes in a disinfectant solution before being washed. These cups and plates in drinking water, disinfected with a considerable amount of chlorine, have shown that there has been no contamination. An exception is three roads in Allias, where water has been cut off and supplies are being delivered by tankers. Meanwhile, the epidemic wave appears to continue declining. By Wednesday, according to data from hospitals in the affected areas, patients continued to be discharged, while new admissions were few. Doctors are not in a position to determine the cause. Such is also the case of the unfortunate unit with one affected person in Bërat. To assess the situation in Drenovicë — the town in the district where there are cases of illness — the OMS specialist, epidemiologist Donato Greco, also went there yesterday.

Shehu: “He did not do his duty” Azem Hajdari TIRANE — The clouds gathered during the recess were immediately dispersed in Parliament. The polemic began in the very first days of the deputies’ work. Azem Hajdari, for whom his parliamentary group had proposed removing him from the sensitive post of Chairman of the Committee on Defense and Public Order, reacted sharply to the decision of his colleagues. Considering Tuesday’s decision unfair and procedurally flawed, Hajdari told Gazeta Shqiptare that “We must separate the two problems. It is one thing to act as Committee Chairman, in which during a year and a half of work there were neither violations nor a single vote, and another thing is my role as a deputy during the days of the hunger strike by former political prisoners. In that last event — says Hajdari — my role was certainly not destructive.” But for the leaders of his party, there is no longer any doubt: Hajdari no longer deserved that post. “Hajdari took an inconsistent position in the hunger-strike case,” Tirana Shehu, Secretary General of the Democratic Party, told Gazeta Shqiptare. “In those days his duty was to stand alongside the law-enforcement forces and not hinder them in carrying out their duty. Moreover, this is a position that also goes against the action program of the movement Hajdari had previously criticized.” But the polemic, meanwhile, does not seem likely to subside. Hajdari himself added that he would strongly raise this issue in Parliament in the coming days. (a. bar.)

Lezhë new plates All cars in the Lezhë district have been fitted with new license plates. Compared with the previous ones, these plates are of a standard size and easy to distinguish; their numbers are phosphorescent. On the plates, as in the other districts, the symbol of the red-and-black flag has also been placed, the AL mark as an international identification sign, as well as numbers and letters that specify the district. Lezhë is currently one of the cities with the highest number of cars per inhabitant. Shkodër, agreement with the University of Bologna An agreement between the two universities, Luigi Gurakuqi and that of Bologna, has been signed in the city of Shkodër. This agreement between the language departments includes broad cooperation between these two institutions. It provides for exchanges and training of teachers, summer courses in Italian, as well as the preparation of Albanian staff who next year will open the Italian studies department. Meanwhile, it is planned that next year, in the city of Shkodër, a joint scientific seminar will also be held on the topic “Direction and development of the modern language”.

Peshkopi, fatal coincidence PESHKOPI — A car accident that, in addition to the victim, also caused a family tragedy occurred on Wednesday in Peshkopi. The driver of a Skoda, Shpëtim Methasani, unfortunately ran over his uncle’s son, 22-year-old Sulejman Methasani. The incident took place at around 3:00 p.m. on the city ring road near the agricultural school. While driving his loaded vehicle with construction materials, Shpëtim noticed that tires were hitting a bicycle going in the opposite direction. He braked while turning, blocking the cyclist’s path; it happened at such a speed that the person driving could not brake in time and ended up under the wheels. When he got out of the car, Shpëtim saw his cousin underneath it, and Sulejman’s immediate transfer to hospital could not prevent the tragedy: Sulejman had died at the scene. E. Gj.

Three police officers detained ELBASAN — A police patrol operation carried out late at night ended, unfortunately, with the death of a citizen and the detention of the three police officers who made up the patrol. The scene of the tragic घटना is the village of Bradashesh in the district of Elbasan. While on duty, the police patrol encountered a group of “thieves” passing along this road and a citizen. The patrol tried to stop them, but the thieves attempted to flee with their vehicles. The patrol then opened fire. The driver of the vehicle, Y. Malja (about 45 years old), was killed, while the other members of the gang fled on foot. Meanwhile, in order to investigate this shooting? and the circumstances of the incident, the detention measure has been taken and investigations have begun. No further details are yet known about this alarming event in Elbasan, which, apparently, remain reserved because of the secrecy of the ongoing investigation. Me. Kl.

VLORE — Koço Duni, the 42-year-old who had been fighting death in the intensive care unit of the Vlorë hospital, has not been able to survive the severe head injuries. He closed his eyes on Tuesday in the ward where he had been admitted for two days. Duni was one of the five people seriously injured last Sunday in a village near Vlorë. Their car had crashed into a road barrier. Duni lost control because of a pothole in the middle of the road. The police are still searching for one of the car’s drivers — the one on whom doctors performed a delicate operation on the head. The prognosis for the other three is improving. (s. M.)

The trial will begin on 3 October TIRANE — The case file concerning five leading members of the “Omonia” organization, convicted by the Tirane Court to between 6 and 8 years in prison, has been sent to the Court of Appeal. Their trial at second instance was scheduled for 3 September, but it was the request of the defense lawyers — who claimed they needed more time to prepare their defense — that pushed the hearing of this case to 3 October. The five Albanian citizens of Greek nationality, “Theofhori Handhari, Vangjel Papa, Kristo Panajot Manoj and Aristio de Kosta G[r]ka,” are accused of abuse of office and of [shp?]. In the respective file. And the accused? are still in the [sh?] proceedings against them by the Albanian justice authorities. And it still remains open in Greek government circles, which even accuse the restoration of diplomatic relations between the two states. In response to the minister of order, the 5 weapons? [arëv]. The Greek government undertook the expulsion of thousands of Albanian emigrants from Greek territory and the blocking of customs checkpoints. While the latest Greek “silence”? was asked with [words?] while giving thanks, for which previously in Greece a series of national? diplomatic relations between the two countries continue to remain frozen. The Greek side has not responded to the invitation of the highest Albanian authorities to dialogue. It cannot now be possible to delay the issue of help on these relations, a decision expected to be taken by the Court of Appeal. (a. b.)

CURSIVE REALITY GJIROKASTER — The believers’ shoes have flown over the rooftops of houses and the heads of passers-by as if to replace the spring fireworks. And the whistles, it was a Muslim religious feast, the cause of the unusual scene that day in Gjirokastër. Not even the doors of Gjirokastër’s largest mosque, Naxhije? were affected, and even the infantile hands? of city residents d[?]. The main? so-called? also saw [goods?]. In any case, respecting the ancient tradition of believers, who enter the mosque to pray barefoot and many of them wearing socks, they could not? choose? anything else? without taking off their shoes. For Muslims there is only one [i][?] of them? that? climbs the mosque [?]. A view of the city of Gjirokastër where the curious episode happened of Muslims who did not like shoes. ... the thread had been finished, for [breaking?] and he made “raki” or at least. An unusual human bird[?] descended, at the hour that brought night, the shoes of the believers which were lined up on the threshold of the mosque, making a circuit [of some?]. And the sky? and the houses? the famous Kadare [were shaken?] together with the cobblestones? when that life duty? could fall on [per?]. In those cases, people? who had placed their own shoes on balconies, ended not only with the believers’ shoes but also with [vu?]. Ra. Ko.

The Bank of Albania announces TIRANE — The Ministry of Finance will issue Treasury Bills with quarterly maturity, which will be sold at the auction to be held on 29.09.1994. The bills are offered for issuance under the following conditions. Amount to be issued: 200 million lek. The bills will be issued on 03.10.1994 and will mature on 02.01.1995 Unconditional purchase requests from buyers will be accepted until 10:00 on 29.09.1994 at the Bank of Albania, Securities Department. Each submitted request must have a minimum nominal value of 100 thousand lek and may be increased in multiples of 25,000 lek. Banks, the Insurance Institute, firms, private companies and individuals may participate in the auction. 20% of the amount to be issued is offered for non-competitive requests. Requests must be submitted using the special forms provided for this purpose by the Bank of Albania. Interested parties should go to the Bank of Albania, Securities Department, to receive the forms as well as any other explanation they may require. Telephone number 23528.

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