While in Italy: "Is the CIA investigating the ship Korabi?" SHKODER - Shkoder is defending, tooth and nail, the charges against the Montenegrin spies and the hijacking of the warship "Korabi", while the defendants’ lawyers are asking investigators to bring witnesses from Montenegro and Italy to court. At yesterday’s hearing, the lawyer for Aleksandër Mahmuti requested that the session be postponed on the grounds that they were conducting an investigation with new documents. The lawyer also asked for the presence of two experts from Montenegro to prove that his client is disabled because of illness. Judge Perveti rejected this request. According to him, neither of the two experts has the proper stamp, and in fact one of them is not a doctor but a dentist. The prosecutor then began reading the indictment drawn up against the four defendants: Aleksandër Mahmuti, Xhelal Hoxha, Suljeman Dashi and Besnik Maho. The prosecutor stated that at midnight on January 17 of this year, in the Mediterranean, the Albanian warship called "Korabi" and another unidentified vessel met. During a firefight, the Albanians were forced to withdraw. He also mentioned the statements that most of the defendants had made during the investigation. The position in court was completely different. Mahmuti spoke of a plot organized by the heads of the Montenegrin army and gendarmerie to abduct him. "I have never even seen the ship 'Korabi', nor do I know Maho," he said. Meanwhile in Italy, according to a newspaper report, the CIA is investigating the role of a ship called "Korabi"[?]. A portion of the sequence from Pescara

TIRANE - As every Thursday, today too Gazeta Shqiptare is giving away a panoramic poster of the city of Tirana. In last week’s issue, due to printing-house difficulties, an error was distributed. Instead of the promised panorama, readers found a sheet stating that they would receive the panorama today. This time, the panorama accompanies the issue. see page 4

INTERVIEW Dokle speaks INTERVIEW Dokle speaks

Brussels, Van der Broek says TIRANË - The allocation of 93 million ECU by the European Commission for Albania has been the reason for the deepening of Albania’s interest in the EU. Albania will be the first state not linked to the former Soviet Union to sign a trade and cooperation agreement with the European Union, Commissioner Hans van den Broek said yesterday in Strasbourg. According to him, that agreement will precede a more important one, the association agreement, for which talks will begin in June. "We are receiving good signals from Tirana," he said. see page 2

In Albania TIRANË - On Monday the first delegation of the European Parliament will come to Albania. It will be headed by Mario M. Raffaelli. This is the first time that a group of European parliamentarians will visit our country. The visit will last three days. see page 5

Today the final ceremony in Korçë of L[e]qenit[?] TIRANË - It was only three years ago that there was a great uproar over the reburial of Faik Konica, whose remains were brought and placed in the National Library. Now Konica’s name is once again returning for another ceremony. see page 8 American writer with invitations

Ilir Hoxha case: after editor-in-chief Drizari, another witness The ecologist Hohë at the Prosecutor’s Office "I acted as an intermediary for an interview" TIRANË - In the statements made on Sunday and Wednesday at the prosecutor’s office regarding the case of the People’s doctor[?], the director of the newspaper "Europa" and the daily "Koha jonë", Nikoll Lesi, the editor-in-chief of the daily "Albania", Gëzim Podgorica, and the vice-chairman of the Republican Party, Baki Gjoka, spoke about their contacts with the arrested journalist Ardian Klosi and with members of the Hoxha family. Today the ecologist Hohë[?] is also expected to testify; he says he acted as an intermediary for an interview. see page 4 Namik Hoti leaving the Prosecutor’s Office (photo H. Pusani)

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AD: "The earth sold you" On page 3 The brothers accuse the brother On page 3 Vlora "Lives with three kun-" On page 3 Zogjet: "Castle and a half" On page 2

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