Minister Malaj in London: “We are forced to” The newspaper “Financial Times” reveals the operation. Economists: “Inflation risk” Economists: “The issuance of new banknotes, without a corresponding increase in production, will lead to an uncontrolled rise in inflation” Malaj in London: “Funding for an International Commission, from the World Bank, an inquiry into the pyramid schemes in Albania” TIRANA - Albania is printing new banknotes. It is the newspaper ‘Financial Times’, which, citing the Albanian Finance Minister Arben Malaj, appears to confirm suspicions that the Bank of Albania is printing new banknotes to meet payments. At least according to what the newspaper quotes, Malaj declared that “it likewise inevitably leads to a rise in inflation, but we will be forced to print money again”. Meanwhile, Malaj is also said to have mentioned another concern: “in a meeting I was told that we no longer even have paper to print banknotes on”. According to our information, confirmed at the time by the paper authorities as well, the last batches of paper imported by Albania were brought in in mid-February. Meanwhile, economic specialists express concern that printing money, if not accompanied by a corresponding increase in production, will lead to a sharp rise in inflation. Malaj also, during his visit to London, requested funding for a nationwide general inquiry, which the Albanian government has so far not found. On page 5

Andreatta: “Albanian parties should not be playing games” Vranicki’s date: controversy Electoral enigma: Italy accuses Andreatta: “Albanian parties should not be playing games” Vranicki Vranicki’s visit: The Vlora Committee “Berisha is guilty” On page 3

Prison: Stories of escape Prison 313 in Tirana after the escape Photo: Pjotër Ilo TIRANA - More than 50 prisoners have been returned to the cells of a prison that opened onto street 313 in Tirana a month earlier. After many attempts to film the escape of more than 600 prisoners, the authorities of this prison had set up. Within minutes all the rooms and isolation cells had been emptied. We had visited that day several of the prison floors and rooms, over which it seemed as if a war had been waged. The rooms were destroyed and filled with water. Almost most of them had become uninhabitable. Around 50 people who had been returned had been placed in part of it, on the second floor, where none of the 65 people in the room. After the escape, local residents had poured into the prison, taking everything that could be taken. The prisoners’ televisions and refrigerators, their food and clothes, blankets and other prison equipment, even the electrical installations. We also made a visit to the rooms where the people convicted of crimes against humanity, Aranit Çela, Raqi Iftica and Marash Kola, had been held. On page 2 Prison 313 in Tirana after the escape Photo: Pjotër Ilo

Vanguard of the Italian army arrives in the city Landing in Vlora postponed “We’ll go next week” Referendum Leka gets the promise from Berisha TIRANA - The referendum in June. That was the answer Leka Zogu secured today in the meeting with Berisha. “Now he will find a home in the referendum; he can carry out the project.” Curri Du-rollari gives the first information about what took place in the presidential offices. Berisha shared Zogu’s view on the necessity of the referendum. Leka Zogu was received yesterday at the presidential palace at 12:30. Accompanied by the Minister of the Royal Court, Mulosmani, and by the leader of PLL, Durollari, the sovereign climbed the steps of the Presidency amid greetings from the Guard’s sentries and under heavy security measures. What took place behind closed doors lasted 48 minutes. “It was a warm atmosphere between the two sides,” commented PLL leader Durollari a little later. According to him, the two bankiers first spoke before starting a conversation, which was conducted in English, in a park of courtesy. Massacre of the funeral: There was no mine in the grave ELBASAN - The enigma of the massacre at the cemetery in Elbasan has been cleared up; the tragedy was caused by a mine placed in the freshly opened grave of a young man, but by a grenade thrown by a 12-year-old boy, who was also injured. The number of injured among all the funeral attendees reached 12, of whom four remain in critical condition. Well-informed sources from the Elbasan police station assert that the hypothesis of a deliberate attack on the victim’s relatives has no basis and that everything was an incident caused by the child’s carelessness. The freshly opened grave of the young man from Elbasan, Gazmend Peqini, did not remain filled after he was killed during an exchange of fire with a group of young people on Monday at midday. His funeral, with the 14-year-old’s mother present, was held amid the numerous bursts of automatic weapons from his friends and relatives. According to sources, while respecting the funeral, the police did not intervene, but as the victim was being taken to his final resting place, a powerful explosion left 12 people injured. Initially it was suspected that the grave had been mined by the young man’s killers, but that version was disproved. A 12-year-old, “says a reliable source from the police station,” caused the explosion; he was a child who had thrown a cartridge into a shell and was injured himself. Soldiers of “Alba” VLORE - “Alba” is forced to talk with the rebels of the South. Yesterday, an Italian general, Menini, was in Vlora together with an advance party of Italian marines. The Italian’s first meeting with the two and members of the Vlora committee. On page 3

FSHF: “The funds are blocked” SPORT / Only the Albanian Cup is certain Spahia: The motionists are not a problem for us TIRANA - Spahia does not see the breakaway of his deputies from the PD parliamentary group as something to fear. “It is an attempt to evade the responsibilities they had in the PD,” he says, commenting on the split his own people made from the blue deputies’ group. Spahia does not foresee any clarification regarding their future fate in Parliament and their inclusion in the relevant committees. “It will be done in accordance with the rules of the Assembly,” he says. On page 3 TIRANA - The football championship risks not being held at all. “If the 240 thousand dollars blocked by the government are not released, then it will not be played.” This was the decision taken yesterday at the meeting of the Executive Committee of the Albanian Football Federation. If the funds are unblocked, then the teams, divided into 3 groups of six each, with one match on 10 May, will play the games to determine the champion. The Cup on 30 April, the semifinals on 3 May, the final in Tirana. On page 3

Yesterday a bomb exploded on a boulevard / Smuggling is destroying entire factories ELBASAN “The city, an arms depot” Yesterday a bomb exploded on a boulevard On page 5 SHKODËR “A river” of iron across the border Smuggling is destroying entire factories On page 5

SHOW Theatre disrupts spring plans On page 4

AMSTEL BIER

WORLD NEWS Bomb alarm in England On page 2

Get a lucky ticket at newspaper points of sale anyone’s luck can fall into your hands! KAMBO MARSHALL NATIONAL LOTTERY ON TV Alba TV The lottery “Kambo Marshall”, 6 out of 10, on Alba TV. Only 100 lek can make you win one of its 9 big prizes! Only 100 lek to touch your dreams!