Long queue at the Prosecutor’s Office: hundreds of complaints

TIRANA - Complaints from those defrauded by the “Grunasi” usury scheme are flooding the Prosecutor’s Office. Yesterday, around a hundred people had queued outside the doors of the Tirana Prosecutor’s Office from the early morning hours to submit to the investigators’ offices the lending contracts they had made with the “Grunasi” company. While a faint hope of getting their money back still kept them waiting, yesterday they also appealed to Berisha in a letter asking for help. On page 5 Tirana, yesterday outside the Prosecutor’s Office (Photo: P. Ilo)

U.S. lightning bolts over Albania

Washington: “We will review relations” A stern statement from the State Department on the elections, the constitution and the press The latest American reaction to the Albanian government: “The Berisha-Clinton meeting was O.K., but there have been setbacks in democracy” The U.S. Embassy in Tirana TIRANA - The latest American message concerning the government in Tirana has arrived: “Be careful: bilateral relations have been called into question.” This was the basic line taken by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Stefen Coffy. In an interview given to [unclear], non-violation of press freedom and abandoning the mentality that the government and bilateral relations have been undermined by lobby groups. These were some of the main points of Coffy’s position, who is also simultane- State Department: “The Constitution must be drafted, and all Albanian political forces must take part in its drafting” ously reflecting the latest position of the American State Department. According to Coffy, the key to improving relations, now visibly strained, is “the proper development of democracy and the guarantee of fundamental human freedoms in Albania.” On page 3

THE FOOTBALL DEBATE

FIFA has backed down: the national team is ready again TIRANA - Yesterday, FIFA officially lifted the suspension of Albanian football. The national team can now focus calmly on 14 December. The Cup, UEFA: two more German teams are eliminated. Monaco triumphs over them again. The Iberians are the only ones with two teams in the quarter-finals. On page 6 From the Albania-Portugal match, 0-3

A gang attacks a church

ELBASAN

Witnesses against Buza: “He threatened to kill us”

Today the prosecution will present its sentencing request “Death threat”—that was

“I will not lead the SP again”

SERVET PËLLUMBI’S RESPONSE “I will not lead the SP again” “Previously, you solved problems within the party” FERRARIS AWAITS THE DP “The Constitution should be TIRANA - Servet Pëllumbi is determined not to become entrenched at the head of the Socialist Party. “I will not become a party leader,” he said yesterday, commenting on the request addressed to him by a considerable number of Socialist Party members in Korçë. Around 500 members and supporters from the southern city had signed a petition demanding that former SP deputy chairman Pëllumbi return to lead the party. But the 60-year-old socialist Pëllumbi appears to have closed off all the paths that could lead him back to the high throne of the largest opposition party. “The return of individuals is not important,” he told Gazeta — but resolving the troubling issues within the party is.

attacks a church

Elbasan, Saint Athanasius ELBASAN - A gang attacks the church of Saint Athanasius. The incident took place yesterday evening in Elbasan, when five armed people forced open one of the iron doors at the rear entrance of the holy building. The church guard—who lives somewhere nearby—made his usual inspection and spotted five strangers, who were cutting the ribbon where the candles were placed and money was thrown. They responded to his calls with threats and gunshots. The guard then rushed inside, took his shotgun—which he had with him—and fired into the air in an attempt to alert the neighbours. It was the police’s powerful sirens that scattered the gang of thieves. The whole incident lasted about an hour. After they left, the area was inspected and it was discovered that the iron gate had been forced open and an attempt had also been made to start a fire. The gang’s main aim was to steal the church icons. The theft of the icons [unclear]; very close by, three sacks were also found, in which ... (text partly unclear) ... A criminal report has now been filed with the prosecution authorities, and an investigation into the incident has begun. Nevertheless, there is no doubt about the identification of the five members of the gang. They left in an as-yet-unknown direction. The church of Saint Athanasius is located at the edge of the city and is not very conspicuous. bl.ta

“He threatened to kill us”

“Death threat”—that was the conclusion reached after the two testimonies were confronted in court yesterday . TIRANA — Witnesses against Ilir Buza. Yesterday, the two witnesses, whose accounts had contradicted each other regarding the “terrorism” of the human bomb, were confronted. After yesterday’s hearing, Buza’s position appears to have collapsed. The testimony given again yesterday before the judges, for the purposes of the confrontation, also portrayed Buza as a terrorist with “state” objectives. The prosecution’s closing arguments are expected today. Ilir Buza — “the human bomb”

“You used to resolve problems within the party first”

FERRARIS MEETS DP “The Constitution must be adopted by Parliament” At the meeting with Meksi, a positive dialogue between the parties is sought TIRANA — The Democrats came away optimistic from the meeting with Ferraris. “We presented our option for drafting the Constitution, and Ferraris found our formula reasonable,” said the Secretary for Public Relations, Ferdinand Xhaferri. The Italian diplomat also met with Prime Minister Meksi, where he called for a positive dialogue between the parties in Albania.

BERAT Emigrants accuse: “This police officer robbed us by force”

On page 5

SHKODER “Gang of the North”: first sentences, 37 years in prison

On page 5

ENTERTAINMENT Dritëroi recites his own poems

The well-known poet performs 52 of the finest works from his entire body of work. On page 4 Agolli

FROM THE WORLD Berisha speaks in Lisbon: “I support the Kosovars”

The two-day OSCE meeting on European security in the 2000s concludes. On page 2 Berisha in Lisbon

Servet Pëllumbi

JOB VACANCY

“Gazeta Shqiptare” is looking to hire a skilled employee for its page-layout department. Candidates must have a good knowledge of the “Page Maker” programs and programs used for processing photographs. Candidates who already have work experience at newspapers and are relatively young are preferred. Interested applicants, equipped with a written Curriculum, should come to the editorial office of “Gazeta Shqiptare” every day between 5:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. The Editorial Office