The lifting of immunity for the two former ministers has not yet been approved Yesterday, the ruling party’s parliamentarians discussed the walnut-log issue. Uka: “I am pleased with the group’s position on corruption. We acted in accordance with the laws.” Ruli also mounted a lengthy defense TIRANA - Much discussion, heated arguments and no concrete steps after a meeting that went on for several hours. This is how one of the most controversial issues of the final days of ’94 appeared at first glance: the walnut-log issue, which is now the subject of charges by the Prosecutor’s Office. This time, it was the long-awaited meeting of the Democratic Party’s parliamentary group that put the names of two of its best-known deputies at the center of the news: former Minister of Economy and Finance Genç Ruli and former Deputy Minister Rexhep Uka. The DP deputies—in a meeting also attended by Prime Minister Meksi and President Berisha—were not entirely convinced that they should respond positively to Prosecutor General Dragoshi’s request to lift the parliamentary immunity of both men. For Ruli and Uka, yesterday’s meeting was their first opportunity to defend themselves publicly against the charge of abuse of office. The lengthy meeting—which began at ten yesterday morning and ended close to five in the afternoon—was opened by Blenim Çela. The chairman of the Control Commission, on whose denunciation the Prosecutor’s Office subsequently based the charges now also hanging over the former ministers, recounted to the DP deputies the history of the suspicious transport of the valuable walnut logs. Immediately after him, Ruli defended himself at length, followed by Uka. The others spoke afterward. The position taken by the DP parliamentary group seems to have temporarily reassured the two accused men. Shortly after the meeting ended, former Prime Minister Rexhep Uka spoke to Gazeta Shqiptare. “At this meeting, our views and those of the deputies were expressed,” Uka said. “I am pleased with the group’s position regarding the fight against corruption. The group’s view was that at length, followed by Uka. The others spoke afterward. Today, fight against corruption. The group’s view was that at length, followed by Uka. The others spoke afterward. On the Telekom case Meksi defends his people TIRANA - Meksi has intervened to defend his associates accused of abuse of office and document forgery in connection with what has come to be called the “Telekom scandal.” A letter addressed to the Prosecutor’s Office, a reassuring telephone call to former Minister Bitincka, and the farewell he gave to his team of associates appear so far to be evidence that the Prime Minister is not convinced by the charges against two of his closest associates. It all happened on the eve of the New Year. Secrecy surrounding the investigations, which began in recent days, makes it impossible to penetrate the central, historically shrouded [...], but Meksi’s letter is now in the file of the investigative team, which has been investigating for some time. At almost the same time, Meksi called Bitincka to reassure him that his opinion of their working relationship had not changed despite the charges against the former minister, and that things would be clarified very soon. Meksi also spoke about the accusations against Gajo and Biti-neka at the traditional end-of-year meeting with his office staff. The Prime Minister tried to reassure his employees. “You must carry on working as usual,” Meksi said in essence. “The so-called scandals that have recently filled the pages of the press are mostly political insinuations.” Once again, Meksi thus came to the defense of the economist Albert Gajo, who was present at the meeting. Meanwhile, according to Prime Minister’s Office employees, the investigative team also appeared at the Prime Minister’s Office. (fa.bax) Rexhep Uka Genc Ruli (photo A.Babani) Fatos Baxhaku

The government decision has come into effect Liquefied gas for heating also becomes more expensive TIRANA - Fuel and heating fuels will cost citizens more. This was decided by a government decision published after being adopted on December 9 of last year. Starting January 1 of this year, retail prices for heating fuels and motor fuels will rise substantially, and the new prices will be binding on all private businesses selling them. The price of benzine, the fuel most in demand among drivers, is rising by 15 percent, from 65 lekë to 75. Super gasoline will cost 8 lekë more per liter. Drivers of diesel vehicles will also pay more: the price rises from 38 lekë to 45 lekë, an increase of 18 percent. Unleaded gasoline will see a smaller increase: only 5 lekë per liter. Meanwhile, the price of regular gasoline remains unchanged. The retail prices of diesel fuel and kerosene are also unchanged, both for household and non-household users. The maximum price of liquefied gas, which has recently been widely used for heating in people’s homes, is rising substantially, by 25 percent. The amounts that importers of gasoline and diesel for vehicles must pay into the budget have also been set: 35 lekë per liter (or 47 lekë per kilogram) for gasoline and 9 lekë per liter (or 11 lekë per kilogram) for diesel. According to the decision: “HERE IS HOW RETAIL PRICES OF MOTOR FUELS AND HEATING FUELS ARE CHANGING” Product Unit of measurement Previous price (in lekë) New price (in lekë) Gasoline - RON 70-80 liter 46 46 - RON 85.1-95 liter 65 75 - RON 95.1 and above liter 82 92 - Unleaded gasoline liter 80 85 Diesel liter 38 45 Kerosene - for household use liter 23 23 - for non-household use liter 38 38 Liquefied gas (maximum price) liter 40 50 gje.pi.

SHKODËR - The Vau Dejës hydroelectric plant narrowly escaped the risk of damage. The two vessels, each with a capacity of 20 tons, operating on its lake broke loose from the pier where they were moored—only a few meters from the dam—because of bad weather, and drifted toward the water-discharge gates, threatening to destroy them and the hydroelectric plant’s units. The immediate intervention and efforts of numerous personnel made it possible to avert the danger and move the two ferries away from the dam gates. The situation has now returned to normal, and the undamaged hydroelectric plant has continued operating regularly.

Hygiene: “Caution is needed” YESTERDAY IN ALBANIA Vlora, kerosene smuggling again — The Coun... kerosene missing in...

The lakes fill up. The emergency is over TIRANA — Restrictions on the supply of electricity are lifted. The improvement finds... The stabilization of electricity supplies from the hydroelectric plants has meant that the thermal power plants ...

“The Greek’s file is in danger”

Vlora, kerosene smuggling again — Kerosene had been scarce at the sales outlets in the city of Vlora. And the reason—as the State Control Commission reports—is that hundreds of tons of fuel were sold illegally for profit by Commercial Base Enterprise No. 2. According to the body that has now uncovered the irregularities, the enterprise’s senior managers should be dismissed and prosecuted. Of the 720 tons of kerosene sold during ’94, around 560 tons were diverted into smuggling channels. 1995: millions for the municipalities around Tirana — The investment forecast for the municipalities surrounding the capital has been announced. The Finance Section of the District Council has now completed the financial plan for construction projects, indicating that priority will once again be given to building water-supply systems in villages and sewer networks, which have been lacking until now.

Hygiene: “One must be careful” TIRANA — Contaminated water has reappeared in the taps of the homes of Tirana residents. For several days in a row, impurities and an earthy yellow color have disrupted the capital’s drinking-water supply. According to specialists, this situation was caused by numerous leaks resulting from recent rainfall, which allowed foreign elements to enter the pipes of the distribution network.

Near Tirana TIRANA — It was the saddest New Year for seven rural families from the Tirana district. Seven houses have been completely destroyed in the capital’s mountainous area. In Zall-Bastar, five houses collapsed in a landslide, while in Selitë-Mal two families suffered the same fate: their home was reduced to ashes after a fire caused by sparks from the chimney. The news was reported by the official news agency, which cited sources from the District Council. The unfortunate families of Zall-Bastar have now been offered relocation to another area in the same district.

The lakes fill up. The emergency is over TIRANA — Restrictions on the electricity supply are being lifted. The improved condition of the hydroelectric reservoirs, thanks to heavy rainfall that increased river flows, has stabilized the emergency situation caused by the drought at the end of December. “The situation has returned to normal,” Bashkim Qatipi, head of the energy office at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, explained to Gazeta Shqiptare. “The population will now receive electricity as before.” Meanwhile, electricity will also once again be regularly supplied to industry, which had been deprived of it because of the emergency declared by the Government. The stabilization of electricity supplies from hydropower plants has meant that the thermal power stations brought online to deal with the electricity crisis can be shut down again. The Fier thermal power plant is now operating at low output, at almost minimum levels. At the same time, imports of electricity—which Albania had been forced to obtain urgently from Greece—have been halted for several days. a.m.

“The Greek man’s case file is in danger” TIRANA — Zef Brozi has leveled serious accusations against the Prosecutor’s Office. Its refusal to return to the Court of Cassation the case file of Greek citizen Kostadinos Kalafatos—the decision to release him had also been the reason for the request to lift the immunity of the president of that Court—was described by Zef Brozi as an attempt to manipulate the case: “The game with the file is continuing,” he told Gazeta Shqiptare on Wednesday afternoon. “The file could disappear, or materials compromising the Police, the Investigative Directorate and the Prosecutor’s Office could be removed.” The Court of Cassation’s request to retrieve the file—so that it could determine whether, under normal legal procedures, there were grounds for an application for the protection of legality (KML) against the decision made by that court—was submitted on Wednesday. The response refusing the request arrived that same day, at around 3:00 p.m.: “The file cannot be returned to you because it has been transferred to the Military Prosecutor’s Office for investigation.” Brozi strongly objected to this response: “My request was entirely lawful,” he explained, “because this was a case that had been adjudicated by the Court of Cassation.” But Brozi’s protests concerning the case of the Greek citizen did not end there. On Wednesday he also filed a complaint with the Tirana Prosecutor’s Office. “The file reveals serious violations of the constitutional law ‘On Human Rights and Freedoms’ in relation to the procedures for inspection, detention and investigation of the case,” the letter sent to the Prosecutor’s Office states. “We therefore request that criminal proceedings be initiated against those responsible.” Along with the complaint, the presiding judge of the panel that tried the Greek citizen’s case submitted a complete document, intended for members of parliament and the press, detailing all the procedural violations. On Wednesday Brozi also protested to the Speaker of the People’s Assembly. “I regret that Arbnori sent me the document concerning the Prosecutor’s Office’s request to lift my immunity one day after it had been discussed. Why are such things being done secretly to the president of the Court of Cassation?” Brozi said indignantly. Armand Mero

One million tickets will be distributed. Prizes for the Theater too A scratch that makes you a millionaire Lottery launches: prizes up to 200,000 lekë TIRANA — A new opportunity for those looking to win money through games of chance. In the coming days, a “scratch to win” lottery, called “Art,” will be launched. Tickets will be sold at the Savings Bank counters, as well as by various private sellers. The company “Kursimi” and the Savings Bank have been granted the right to organize this kind of lottery. One million tickets will be put on the market, each costing 50 lekë. Each ticket is made up of a number and has six squares at the bottom that you must scratch to discover what is hidden beneath them. Those who find tickets with three identical numbers will win the amount indicated by those three numbers. Winning tickets will be issued in the following quantities and denominations: 15,000 tickets worth 200 lekë, 6,000 worth 500 lekë, 800 worth 2,000 lekë, 200 worth 10,000 lekë, 40 worth 50,000 lekë, 20 worth 100,000 lekë, and 10 worth 200,000 lekë. There will be another 130,000 tickets with three squares bearing the words “free ticket.” If you find one of these tickets, you are entitled to another ticket, this time free of charge. Besides the lucky buyers and the organizers—the Savings Bank and the company Egnatia—there will be another winner from this venture. Sixteen percent of the proceeds from this lottery will go toward sponsoring artistic activities at the National Theater. (gje.pl.)

Provided by Alitalia BARI — She had left Albania on a dark night in a small smugglers’ speedboat. Now Shpresa’s lifeless body will return to Albania by plane. The story of Shpresa Kanani, reported by Gazeta Shqiptare, has moved Italy. After two funeral companies, one in Brindisi and one in Milan, offered coffins, the Italian airline company has also said it is ready to transport to Albania free of charge the body of the young woman murdered in Milan before Christmas. It is still in the Lambrate morgue, awaiting the autopsy ordered by the Italian judges. Francesco Prete, the official in charge of the judicial investigation. The transfer will take place once the family members have officially identified the body. For this purpose, two members of Shpresa’s family will travel to Milan in the coming days. The Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic in that city is organizing the plane journey from Tirana to Milan and back. Only after the official identification can Shpresa travel to Përmet. For the last time. (f. gjul.)

Yeltsin orders a ceasefire Chechnya, conflict at a crossroads Is the way leading to peace or a new attack? ON PAGE 2 Ministry of the Interior announces crime figures for ’94 Three times as many growers and traffickers ON PAGE 3