Investigators begin examining it immediately Accusation: “PS leader implicated.” Prosecutor’s Office: “Let us verify it” Yesterday the Control Commission’s denunciation was handed over to the Justice authorities Gjirokataj: “We will not prejudge this case” EDMOND LAÇI TIRANA - The “Dokle” file ends up at the Prosecutor’s Office. Yesterday, the voluminous material submitted by the State Control Commission landed directly in the hands of Tirana’s investigators. And for the first time—since this story took over the Albanian mass media—no one at the Tirana Prosecutor’s Office is now reluctant to return to the pages of the newspapers to learn the truth about the spending of the 400 thousand dollars with which “ZP” was supposed to buy a printing press in Canada. Thus, the dozens and hundreds of pages prepared on the State Control Commission’s typewriters—which denounce Dokle, accusing him of “stealing 400 thousand dollars”—are now being examined in detail by investigators, who may be able to establish fully just how much this story really “weighs.” “I would not call the denunciation that has just arrived at our office the ‘Dokle file,’” Tirana Deputy Prosecutor Genc Gjokutaj told Gazeta Shqiptare yesterday. “It is simply an ordinary file concerning an alleged scandal reported by a state body.” Declining to comment on the details of the State Control Commission’s accusation against Dokle, the capital’s senior prosecutor, Gjokutaj, said that “this material will immediately undergo legal examination,” while also making clear that the Prosecutor’s Office has yet to present its version of this still-mysterious story. “We will examine all the material without prejudgment,” Gjokutaj continued, “but we also stress that we will bring criminal charges against anyone found guilty by the investigation into this matter.” For the second time, then, the State Control Commission is seeking to prove Dokle’s guilt in connection with the 400 thousand dollars intended for the “ZP” newspaper’s printing press, which was to be bought in Canada. Previously, this letter of denunciation concerning the affair had already been sent through the channels of the Albanian justice system. But, as officials at the capital’s Prosecutor’s Office say, on November 15, 1993, this material was returned to the State Control Commission “for completion of the documentation.” anyone found guilty by the investigation into this matter. Dokle-Çela face-off live on TV TIRANA - The Solidarity Fund, the 400 thousand dollars for the “ZP” printing press, Dokle and Çela dominated Albanian Television’s screen late last night for an hour. The battle of arguments—the first time live on TV—nevertheless failed to put the Chairman of the State Commission, Blerim Çela, who is making the accusations, and PS Deputy Chairman Namik Dokle, who disputes everything, in the same “trench.” Yet beyond the figures, documents, protocols, heated debates and even political accusations, one fact also emerged: the 400 thousand dollars—set aside to buy a printing press in Canada—may yet come to light again. “Nothing has been lost,” Dokle said last night, adding that he would seek a court order from the State so that the printing press could finally be handed over to “ZP.” Çela, however, maintains that the 400 thousand dollars came from the state budget and must be returned to it. A debate both men had anticipated, on an evening interrupted only by the captions accompanying the program. But a film-like ending... (e.l) Namik Dokle Blerim Çela

Report from Lake Shkodra: witnesses to the fuel trade Officials from Brussels come to Tirana April 5, 1995, 11:10 a.m. Smuggling continues Report by C.BOLLINO on page 3 TIRANA - A high-level meeting in Tirana between representatives of SAM (the Sanctions Assistance Mission, which monitors continued compliance with the embargo against the former Yugoslavia) and Albanian authorities. The head of the Albanian mission, Fran-Letrari, was accompanied by Richard Stone, a senior official who had come from Brussels. For more than two hours, the two held talks in a private room at the Hotel Tirana with the Director General of Customs, Arben Petrela, and an official of the Financial Police. Letrari and Stone had also met with the commander of the Shkodra Financial Police. The meetings focused on “technical assessments” of compliance with the sanctions against the former Yugoslavia and the fight against fuel smuggling. The meeting—which appears to have been planned for a long time—took place the day after the sensational New York Times report on the illegal export of fuel to Montenegro.

New initiative from the EU “Work and also for

Tour

Elbasan, “number of bodies falsified”

Transmitted through the blood ...

A new initiative from the EU; There will also be wages A new initiative from the EU “Work for prisoners too” There will also be wages LEZHË — Work for prisoners too. This is the most interesting initiative by the European Union for the system of Albanian rehabilitation institutions, and it could be put into practice very soon. Yesterday, EU representatives and representatives of the General Directorate of Prisons visited the Lezhë camp—which houses around 250 convicted prisoners—near which a plant for inert materials is planned to be built. Around 120 thousand dollars in funds could be used for this purpose, naturally with the project also extending to other prisons in Albania, where opportunities exist to build and operate these kinds of external enterprises. Although the initiative is still at the project stage, its implementation—which the prisoners themselves have also welcomed—could give them the satisfaction of an economic opportunity, since a wage, modest of course, is also envisaged. (e.l)

Tour KORÇË — The famous Greek singer Marinela has returned to Albania. Yesterday at midday she arrived in Korçë together with her group, where she will also give her first concert. Yesterday the stage also began to be assembled immediately at the City Theater. It will be a concert in which Marinela will sing the 40 best songs from her repertoire, including three new songs. Thus Marinela’s fame returns; in the mid-1970s, she had reached the height of success on Albanian stages. El.Ko.

Elbasan, “they falsified the number of guards”; Two company executives arrested Elbasan, “they falsified the number of guards” The private guards’ fraud Two company executives arrested ELBASAN — The executives of two private security companies in Elbasan have ended up behind bars. Accused of abuse of office, the two presidents, Sami Dervishi and Nefat Biba, were arrested on Tuesday on the order of the district prosecutor’s office. The case that has landed Dervishi and Biba in jail concerns the guarding of the Metallurgical Complexes. The details of the incident are not yet known. The investigators now handling the case are content to explain that it concerns fraud in the bureaucratic reports the companies had with the two complexes. The two presidents had apparently falsified the number of guards they had assigned to protect the facilities. The recorded figures were higher than the forces actually deployed, and this is thought to have generated a not insignificant profit for the budgets of Dervishi and Biba’s companies. The investigation into this case has not concluded; on the contrary, it is expected to expand further. Suspicion has also fallen on the Metallurgical Complex enterprises themselves, which had contracted with the private security companies. Investigators will examine everything in detail to determine whether there was any collusion between the two parties in this fraud. However, so far these are only hypotheses that may be clarified once the investigation is fully concluded. Me.Ki.

TIRANE — Hepatitis C is also a risk for the sick. It is a type of disease (jaundice, as it is otherwise called) that is transmitted through blood. The results of the first tests conducted at the Blood Donation Center in Tirana have shown that signs of this disease were found in some people—5 cases out of 99 tests. “We cannot yet say precisely how widespread this type is in Albania,” Agim Kociraj, director of the Donation Center, explains to Gazeta Shqiptare, “but we think the indicators must be high.” Hepatitis C differs from all the other types because it is contracted through blood transfusion. Tests for it are now being carried out on a large scale, and only once they are complete will the strategy to be followed by health institutions to combat it be determined. a.m.

Elbasan, car plunges into ravine A passerby from the road, because of excessive speed, has flown into a ravine. This was the predicted fate of a car that was traveling toward Gramsh two days ago. The driver, Sami Zogu, and a passenger in his car were taken to hospital in serious condition. The accident occurred near the village of Kacivel. “6 out of 45”: here are the winning balls There were 1,559,776 lekë available to the winners in the “6 out of 45” lottery, drawn live on TV yesterday evening. The draw produced these winning numbers: 11, 34, 25, 32, 20, 6 The winners will be announced shortly in the news broadcasts. Gjirokastër, benefactor also for Julian Gjirokastër businesspeople are ready to help Julian too, the orphan who has lived for 15 years in the city hospital. Adriatik Islami, who currently pays a woman 15 thousand lekë a month to look after two orphaned children, is ready to do something for Julian as well. At the same time, Islami appeals to his other colleagues in Gjirokastër, hoping to establish a charitable institution in the future.

Qirjazati rejects Pangalos’s accusations SARANDË — Omonia rejects every accusation implicating it in collaboration with MAVI. Just one day after the sensational statements by former Greek Transport Minister Pangalos about “possible links” and about members of the minority pardoned by the Albanian Justice system who had ties to the ultranationalist command, it is Sotir Qirjazati, chairman of the association of the Greek minority in Albania, who responds to Gazeta Shqiptare, opposing the attacks launched from Athens. Just back from Greece, after a series of meetings with senior political figures, among them the current president Stefanopulos, Foreign Minister Papulias and Interior Minister Valerakis, the leader of Omonia says: “To tell the truth, Pangalos has made and made many statements. But regarding the five, it was a decision of the Albanian Court to pardon them. The Albanian justice system pardoned them, and it is… lawful and true.” … He explains that all those arrested in connection with the “MAVI” charge had not been convicted. Qirjazati stresses once again: “We have declared ‘The five’ during the trial was created from abroad. In January ’91, when our organization was founded, there was no external inspiration, and the situation in Albania at that time called for the protection of minority rights. But not for a war against the Albanian people,” Qirjazati concludes. The chairman of Omonia also rejects the other suspicions cast on the creation of the association he leads, by Micotaqis’s party, “New Democracy.” “Omonia was created by internal forces, by local activists, and was not Qirjazati concludes. Ra. Ko. “The five” during the trial

TIRANE — Gurali Meidani’s ordeal with the Albanian justice system has ended positively; he is President of the “Democratic Union of the Roma” Association. But while the Prosecutor’s Office has just dropped the criminal case against him, Meidani is counterattacking by filing a complaint against the Albanian Prosecutor’s Office, which investigated him in this way. Investigators must therefore return to the Roma issue, this time to verify Meidani’s accusation against Skënder Veliu—the man seeking the post of President—for “public insult, false accusations, as well as theft of the Association’s seal,” the matter that prompted the investigation. The person who had reported Meidani had himself forced investigators to hold him criminally responsible for around two months. Meidani—now cleared of his challenger’s accusation—threatens to seek Veliu’s criminal prosecution, maintaining that he is the only lawful President of the “Democratic Union of the Roma of Albania” Association. (e.b)

The fishing law is approved TIRANA - Heavy fines for foreigners who fish without a licence. From 25 million to 40 million lekë for all foreign vessels that fish in Albania without a licence. Meanwhile, penalties of up to 500 million lekë will be imposed on all those who refuse to show their fishing licences to the inspection authorities. All these provisions are set out in the fishing law, which was approved by parliament yesterday. The purpose of this law is to ensure the rational and sustainable use, and the future development, of fish resources as a major national asset. This law sets out all the procedures that must be followed to carry out fishing activities regularly.

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