The two versions of the diplomat’s role Athens: “He had nationalist leaflets” - Embassy: “It was a song” TIRANA - Is the Greek cipher clerk at the Embassy in Tirana guilty or innocent? Was Panajotis Mulerris really linked to the ultra-nationalist Mavi terrorists? A certain mystery still surrounds the whole story, which brought right-wing terrorism as far as the Greek Embassy in Tirana, because the information coming from Athens still does not fully match that of Muleris’s fellow Greek diplomats in Tirana. Although official sources in Athens have now acknowledged that Muleris was in possession of brochures containing nationalist material, and that the highest state authorities are now conducting special investigations into his case—some of the most important agencies responsible for international law and agreements between states. The border police will work alongside the financial police and other similar agencies to combat smuggling and the trafficking of drugs, weapons, works of art and foreign currency being taken across the border in violation of national and international laws. Yesterday, the spokesperson for the Greek Embassy in Tirana spoke to Gazeta Shqiptare and revealed the sensational detail in the news that had arrived from Greece. “What was found on the cipher clerk was a song with nationalist content, not any documents at all?” said the Embassy diplomat yesterday, denying reports that his colleague, who had been summoned to Athens, would face the Greek courts. “At least, we know nothing about that,” he said. “He has been called to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to clarify the whole story.” But how was the text of the song found on the Greek diplomat? “It simply fell out of his pocket. In my opinion, it was a naive act, nothing else,” was the reply. The enigmatic story of the cipher clerk will continue to retain its darker aspects. Perhaps this is also connected with the story of the discovery of the cipher clerk, who, according to one version, had Greek nationalist songs in his pocket, or, according to the other version, MAVI manifestos. Only those who discovered and reported Muleris to his superiors, and also to the Greek press, must know the whole truth. Only they can testify as to whether he is guilty or innocent. A crossing point on the Albanian-Greek border

Tirana Tax Office reports it Tax evasion slips past the cash registers “Traders always declare far less profit than they actually make” But they say this is not true TIRANA - Cash registers have failed to record tax evasion. Their users now risk paying much more income tax than they declare to the tax offices. Tax evasion has thus cast its shadow over the capital. The alarm comes from the Tirana Tax Office, whose head, Luan Pustina, tells Gazeta Shqiptare that “90 percent of all traders, sellers and people providing various services—who are equipped with cash registers—manage to conceal their income in order to avoid tax. Under these circumstances, we have been obliged to apply the law: to tax them at a higher rate than the amount they have declared to our offices.” Meanwhile, it is the traders themselves who are protesting this method of taxation, which they say is unfair. “We earn as much as we declare,” many of them say. To get a true picture of the extent to which traders conceal their income, Pustina says that his department has organized pilot inspections and timed observations at several bars in different areas of the capital. The observations were carried out by choosing establishments operating under the most difficult competitive conditions. The data collected were then compared with the figures declared by the owners of these bars. The conclusion: the owners’ actual income is higher than what they declare to the tax offices. This is because these owners, according to Pustina, do not give a till receipt to everyone they serve in their establishments. “This shows that here, with a few exceptions and quite a few foreign traders, there is still no discipline in paying fiscal obligations.” At present these traders pay only income tax, which is equal to 30 percent of their revenue. So far, around 3,500 people in Tirana have been equipped with cash registers. Gjerjg Pilika

TIRANA - Crossing the Albanian border illegally is no longer lawful; it will now be prohibited by a special law, the draft of which will soon be considered by the government. It will now be prohibited by a special law, the draft of which will soon be considered by the government. Thus, for the first time, the “Law on the State Border of the Republic of Albania” will be applied, seeking to establish a legal border regime under which movement across the Albanian border will be regulated. The border police will be responsible for controlling illegal crossings, while also respecting the rules ... Those moving about in this area will be subject to fines in cases where they fire weapons toward the neighboring state, damage border equipment, signs and installations, or distribute propaganda materials against the neighboring state. gj.epi.

KORÇË - He had returned from Greece, but was found dead, frozen. The body of an Albanian refugee was found just 500 meters from the Albanian-Greek border. KORÇË - He had returned from Greece, but was found dead, frozen. The body of an Albanian refugee was found just 500 meters from the Albanian-Greek border—in the area called Porta e Gurit in Bisht—frozen in the snow. The specialists’ preliminary examinations have so far established only the age of the body of this Albanian refugee. According to Gazeta Shqiptare—and this is something that confirms the version that he died of hypothermia. Meanwhile, there was no sign that could identify the person. On his body, a trace of an operation for appendicitis had been noticed. While the doctors ... ... found was around 25 years old. The young man’s body was found in the morgue of the Korçë hospital. The forensic doctors are certain that the cold was the young man’s sole cause of death. “His lips were badly ...,” the doctors explained to Gazeta Shqiptare, “and this is a sign confirming no sign that could identify the young man. On his body there was only a trace of an operation performed earlier. Last night, only one of his ... and a small amount of drachmas were found. After the examination, it was determined that the young man must have died about ten days earlier, precisely when the cold had reached its peak. EL.Ko. A crossing point on the Albanian-Greek border

TIRANA - “Not everything has been achieved, and there are still shortcomings that must be overcome.” Health Minister Maksim Cikuli yesterday gave an account of the state of the sector he heads during a special press conference. The problem of infant mortality remains one of the biggest issues concerning the health service. The figure of 35.4 deaths per 1,000 births continues to place Albania at the top of the list of countries with high mortality in Europe. “It is precisely to find a solution and ease this situation,” Cikuli emphasized, “that a special commission has been established.” Improving hospital structures, equipping them with modern devices, and setting up an effective emergency response system—a fleet of vehicles and helicopter service—have nevertheless not led Cikuli to conceal the miserable state of hotel-like facilities in Albanian hospitals. “The situation is truly unsatisfactory,” Cikuli said, “but it requires a very large investment. We will explore the possibility of introducing population contracts, in the form of health insurance, also to improve hospital accommodation conditions.”

KORÇË - “She wouldn’t let me ... The story “I killed my mother because she wouldn’t let me get married” KORÇË - “She wouldn’t let me

KORÇË - “She wouldn’t let me get married, so I killed her.” This was the reason that drove a 35-year-old from Korçë, L. Treska, to stab his mother to death. These were the few words, uttered with frightening calm by Treska before the investigators questioning him about the circumstances of the crime; that same night, immediately after the incident, the 35-year-old had voluntarily turned himself in at the city police station. It is not yet known when the anguish that led Treska to the gruesome crime began. During the first police questioning, he appeared only in the detailed account of the incident ... with an axe in his hand, he cut down his mother. It was 23:00, the moment Treska decided to carry out his tragic “revenge.” All the members of his family—his brother, who was married and had children, and his 70-year-old mother—had gone to bed. In the quiet of the night, he took the axe and approached his mother’s bed. He did not hesitate. Cold-bloodedly, he raised his arm and struck her with the axe. With the same composure, he left the house to turn himself in. The only explanation that has so far emerged before the experts concerns Treska’s mental balance. Enough to crown the salvation in darkness. EL.Ko.

Interpol catches the murderer from Bulqiza TIRANA—An Albanian man who had been sentenced by the Bulqiza court in 1992 for premeditated murder was arrested yesterday in Italy. Sh. Leka, 31, who in November 1992 killed a customer in a bar in Zogaj by hitting him with a billiard cue, was arrested yesterday—in Villa S. Giovanni, Reggio Calabria, Italy—under an international arrest warrant. Here, too, Leka tried to evade the police by presenting a fake passport. However, that was not enough to save him from arrest.

Fake exodus at the American Embassy TIRANA—A fake exodus in the capital. This time the deceptive rumors reached the U.S. Embassy in the capital itself. During the day yesterday, what was described as a large-scale action involved young people, mainly from Kruja and other northern districts. Embassy officials from the United States contacted officials of the Security and Facilities Branch. Security measures outside the Embassy were immediately increased, while some of those who had been misled—having come from far away and without identity papers—were escorted to the capital’s police station. As is reported, the absurd news about the opening of the U.S. Embassy was spread by the press. (e.l)

Now, after 5 years, it is ready to welcome its first guests More than 18 million ECU was spent on renovating the 15-storey building TIRANA—Tirana International Hotel was inaugurated yesterday. The name is the same, “Tirana.” But its appearance and interior have changed, giving the hotel the right to receive the “rank” of five stars as well as the title International. After a year of renovation work, the 15-storey building constructed in the centre—and in every sense at the heart—of the Albanian capital has reopened, renewed, with a modern appearance and a distinct character, prepared to European standards. The monumental structure, the largest international-class hotel in Albania, Tirana International Hotel offers 161 rooms, 322 beds, 2 restaurants, a business centre and a conference hall, among other facilities. The investment reached 18 million 378 thousand ECU, along with long-term financing of 10 million 36 thousand ECU, or 54 percent, from the EBRD. The rest was financed by the joint venture DV-Alba, in which ALBTURIST holds 49.1 percent, DVE 25.3 percent, INSIG 9.97 percent, the EBRD 9.97 percent, and the Savings Bank 5.01 percent. Tirana International Hotel will be managed by the Albanian National Tourism Agency (Albturist) and Turim Hotels International of Turin. It is owned by the Albanian-Italian joint-stock company DV-Alba. Built in the 1970s, the hotel building—in a period when the flow of foreign tourists was low because of the country’s isolation—served for many years more as the civilian façade of a primitive regime. Later, in the first years of the transition, it set the tone for the capital. Now, in a modern form, “Tirana” beats more truly for a promising future. Arbnori and Shehi inaugurated the hotel (photo: H.Pustina)

Durrës, car crashes into train Panic aboard the morning train that was travelling from Durrës to Tirana yesterday. At an unguarded level crossing, about eight kilometres from Durrës, a truck collided with the train. Three passengers in the “Liaz” were injured, while the train was delayed by the accident. The injured were rushed to the surgical ward of Durrës Hospital. The truck driver’s condition remains serious.

Kukës: the criminal is arrested An extraordinary meeting has sounded the alarm about the crime network in Kukës. Compared with 1993, the number of crimes has increased fourfold this year, while the rate at which they have been solved has been around 43.5 percent. The great concern that has spread among the residents of Kukës over this alarming situation is expected to be met with hope for changes to be brought about by the newly elected head of the district police.

Vlorë, murder case: 17 years in prison He will serve a sentence of 17 years in prison. The 25-year-old M. S. from the village of Mesaplik, Vlorë, was sentenced to 17 years’ imprisonment after killing his friend. The incident took place in March, when the young man came across Mentorët, who had [unclear in source] his baggage, suspecting him to be the cousin’s. Despite this, he shot and killed Qamil Sulën with a double-barrelled shotgun.

TIRANA — If tomorrow were not Sunday, tomorrow we would all have to start an hour earlier: because the hands of the clock will be moved forward by one hour.

TIRANA — If tomorrow were not Sunday, tomorrow we would all have to start an hour earlier: because the hands of the clock will be moved forward by one hour. The change, which will take place simultaneously in all European countries under an agreement reached some time ago, means that we will now truly feel the day beginning to grow longer as it takes hours from the night.

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