Meanwhile, Sudja reiterates: “I’ll resume on January 10” Gjexhalliu: “We have minor problems. On the 26th we will resume normal operations” Tomorrow Gjalliça inaugurates the gas station in Vlorë. The dairy factory in Gjirokastër, worth $8 million, is ready The closure of Gjalliça’s counters has caused fear among crowds of hundreds of clients. But the company’s managers are offering hope Yesterday, a delegation of clients met with Sudja: “On January 10, I assure you, I will distribute the money” TIRANA - The pyramid-scheme alarm is spreading south. Yesterday the “Gjalliça” company stopped handing out money, leaving thousands of people in a fever of anxiety. But only for three days. “Don’t worry. We have a few minor problems and on Thursday, the 26th, we will resume again, without any problems”—this is what the manager of its Vlorë branch, Fitim Gjexhalliu, told the hundreds of people gathered around the “Gjalliça” building. The news that money would not be paid out brought hundreds of clients to the company’s offices early in the morning. Meanwhile, other “Gjalliça” managers insist that their company is secure and has a future. “Gigantic projects for the future: the inauguration of a gas-station complex and the imminent completion of a large-scale milk-processing factory worth 8 million dollars. The money is safe; we have made investments in the production sector,” they said yesterday. Meanwhile, in Tirana yesterday, Sudja once again confirmed that January 10, 1997, would mark the resumption of her operations. Yesterday, a delegation of people involved in the pyramid scheme met with Sudja for about an hour. Anxious crowds outside Sudja’s counters (photo: P. Ilo)

Murder, drugs and kidnapping to be severely punished Yesterday, the People’s Assembly voted unanimously for tougher laws Fier Five arrested...

They were three paintings by Onufri TIRANA - A woman discovers ancient icons in her home. “My son had them. He is now abroad, so come and collect them.” That is what she told the police, where she ...

FROM THE WORLD

The Parliament chamber TIRANA - Unanimous vote against crime. Yesterday, the Albanian Parliament enacted measures intended to strike at and “destroy” crime in Albania. During the five hours of yesterday’s session, the deputies voted “yes” to severe penalties under the law for those who commit crimes, prostitution and corruption. According to Shehu, “we are not late in taking such measures; we are simply making the relevant improvements.” In an interview given to the newspaper, the Deputy Prime Minister explains the reasons why they urged the Albanian legislature to take emergency anti-crime action. Exempting the state’s specific sectors from blame, the new DP law is conceived as addressing “corruption and crime as phenomena found in every democratic society.” On page 9

- A group of fuel thieves from the Fier refinery has been arrested. Five people were arrested yesterday on suspicion of jointly stealing state property. They are suspected of opening the oil tankers and then transporting the oil in 30-liter cans to the refinery’s perimeter wall, from where it made its way to sales outlets. The investigation is still highly confidential, but it is thought that several employees of the Fier police station and many other people were also involved in the thefts. On page 9

TIRANA A woman discovers ancient icons in her home. “They belonged to my son. He is now abroad, so come and take them.” This is what she told the police, who, after checking, discovered that the three paintings the woman had found in her home were three 16th-century icons and works by the famous Onufri. The police are working to discover where the precious icons were stolen from. On page 9

ATHENS – Greek Prime Minister Kosta Simitis has scored his first victory in his reform aimed at steering Greece toward European Union standards and achieving the economic objectives that are essential for joining the plan for a single European currency. On page 2

On page 10

The Albanian song contest was not broadcast in Italy at any time Ajazi and Prela speak Italian to Albanians The Albanian song contest was not broadcast in Italy at any time Telenorba, a scam involving the Festival Ajazi and Prela speak Italian to Albanians TIRANA – Fest ’96 was not an event for Albanians in Italy. The report broadcast by foreign sources the previous evening, saying that the Albanian song contest was not being broadcast live at the 35th Festival of Southern Italy, was indeed a deception and an act of duplicity by Telenorba. Last night all three of Arditi’s newspapers? [possibly: Arditi] stated: “At last, an Albanian Festival is being sold in Italy.” “Spoken words,” said presenter Doris Prela: “We have to speak Italian so that the audience here can understand us.” It is ridiculous that Ajazi and Prela have to speak Italian for an Albanian audience; it is a joke by the Italian newspaper Telenorba, which congratulates us Albanians on our songs, which now have almost Western notes. The people of southern Italy did not see “Sanremo” Albanian for even a moment, and those left “in the lurch” were the thousands of Albanians who, after being informed by their families, waited to hear the sounds of Albanian song on Telenorba’s airwaves. Telenorba announced that it wanted the Albanian song contest on its television channel, but the television channel itself—not Telenorba—was made available only through the repeaters this station has set up in Tirana, which meant the Festival could be watched on two channels within Albania. Meanwhile, Telenorba’s Italian page … [illegible] continued its programming: films, sports, advertisements, news. It was said that Albanian television journalist Namik Ajazi had worked very hard to create this “fantastic” connection. We do not understand why he should be denied what he is due. Why should such a lie be served up to him by the meter? For what reason should Albanians be deceived? Or, after the “famous Telenorba,” whose “friends” across the sea had wanted to make fun of the Albanian tragedy of the August ’91 exodus, did they now decide to become “friends” for real? Perhaps they had gone to the trouble of creating an anonymous jury. Telenorba could have lied in every possible way to advertise itself as the next private station in Albania. Alba Malltezi On page 11

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TREND FOREIGN ... ALBANIAN NEWSPAPER “Happy holidays” with secrets at home Drugged? A long wire to help “Happy holidays” with secrets at home On pages 5–8