INTERVIEW / Condemnation of the former Minister of Defense and the story of the pyramid schemes “I wanted to remove Zhulali” Meksi: “My mistake was that I kept him on even longer” The pyramid-scheme issue, former prime minister Ian washes his hands of it: I asked for the files to be published, but they blocked it TIRANA - Meksi attacks Zhulali. “My mistake was that I continued governing with Zhulali.” In an interview given to Gazeta, Aleksandër Meksi recounts his time in government. The pyramid schemes, the destruction of the army, the threats, and his role in the anti-pyramid-scheme campaign. These are the main topics Meksi, just two months after leaving his seat, prefers to discuss. “I didn’t have the lists of the pyramid schemes. Others had them.” This is Meksi’s explanation; according to him, neither the Prosecutor’s Office nor the State Audit Office wanted to publish the lists that would have brought the dark side of the pyramid schemes to light. According to the former Albanian prime minister, the Albanian army was a bad army, poorly led by a minister like Zhulali. Meksi does not spare harsh words for his former subordinate, describing him as a bad and even irresponsible minister. Meksi does not think he had a bad cabinet, but rather a politicized team. He defends his position, adding that all governments are like that, since they answer to a program and to the political force from which they emerged. “I called Gazidede, Vrioni and Lunik into my office at the beginning of ’96 and asked them to investigate the companies,” Meksi. “The weapons’ destination? They were sold or taken to the North.” On page 3

Fino speaks in Rome. Prodi is pleased: “Good, the agreement.” Vranicki: If the contract is broken, there will be no aid Fino speaks in Rome. Prodi is pleased: “Good, the agreement.” The committees: “Should we dissolve ourselves or not?” Vranicki: If the contract is broken, there will be no aid

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VLORË Gang war with anti-tank weapons: three dead Terror in the city. Three people are killed and eight injured in a clash between rival gangs VLORË - Gang war in Vlora. The French news agency AFP reports that three people have lost their lives and others have been seriously injured as a result of bloody clashes. Five of them are in danger of losing their lives, and doctors are working to prevent the toll of the battle from rising further. On page 5

KAKAVIJË - Terror and fear on the Tepelenë-Kakavijë route. The kidnapping of a powerful businessman from Memaliaj and then the murder of the courier who was taking the ransom money to secure his release have triggered a veritable storm by the businessman’s friends, who are taking revenge on all cars with Vlora license plates. There is also tension in Kakavijë. According to Greek sources, the neighboring state’s customs authorities were forced to raise their barrier to save the many cars being brutalized and wrecked by the armed gang. Meanwhile, a mau[?] with Vlora plates was found overturned in a ditch and then completely looted. The situation has been extremely tense for two days, and the road has now become almost impassable. The gang, operating armed along this section of the national road, continues to act, according to Greek news-agency sources, and it seems it will not give up until ... until the merchants are surrounded and can live freely. They have focused their attention on Vlora, since the businessman is believed to be hiding precisely in this city. Yesterday, too, according to the “Enter” agency, passed without casualties. Another bus on the Fier-Kakavijë route was attacked at the entrance to Gjirokastër, in the village of Subash. The passengers were robbed, and fortunately there are no reports of injuries or deaths. Two days earlier, a 13-year-old girl had been a victim of these attacks; she was hit by a bullet and then taken to the hospital in Ioannina. So far, reports say that this whole episode has caused four deaths. p.re.

Prices fall, especially fruit TIRANA - Prices are ebbing in Albanian consumer-goods markets. According to the latest announcement from the Institute of Statistics, inflation in the month of April, which has just ended, was 1.5 percent lower than that recorded in March. And it seems that fruit and vegetables are what caused this unexpected deflation. Following the slight decline in April, the inflation curve—against the 100 percent benchmark, which is December ’93—now stands at 137.26 percent. On page 3 April: the index falls by 1.5 percent North” Inflation developments Gram... for the trade...

Citizens mine the bridge, refuse disarmament GRAMSH - The city is in complete chaos. Fear of a “punitive” operation by the special forces has brought together armed Serbs and dozens of armed civilians in a rush. They have mined the bridge at the entrance to Gramsh and have even carried out “reconnaissance missions” as far as a village six kilometers from Gramsh. On Thursday, the special forces were met with fighting in Gramsh and were forced to retreat without being able to accomplish their mission of collecting weapons. The citizens suspected that the weapons being collected in Gramsh were going to the north of the country or were being sold. They were convinced that the arsenal seized two weeks earlier in Gramsh had not ended up in the military depots. An armed gang attacked a bus with grenades on the Pogradec-Korçë national road, causing the deaths of two people and injuring three others. There were also women and young children on the bus. On page 5

SOCCER Partizani: Here’s how we won the Cup Starova: “We are not Berisha’s team” On page 6

FROM THE WORLD The Pope calls for peace The Holy Father in the Middle East On page 7

Bank shutdown left workers without money DURRËS - The workers at the Cigarette Factory are paid in kind for their work. The suspension of local banking operations has led to this original solution—which was also the only one—and one that perhaps had not been used since the time of the King. For six months in a row, instead of banknotes signed by the bank governor, the workers received 300 packs of Diamond cigarettes each. They then sold them wholesale and retail in the establishments in the city center. Rare, but true. The workers at the Cigarette Factory in Durrës, one of the few facilities that continue to operate, were paid 300 packs of Diamond cigarettes each during the days of anti-government unrest. This solution came about because of the suspension of banking operations and was used to replace wages for March and April. “We sold these packs very easily. The fall in financial prices emptied Albanians’ pockets, and now they have returned to the country’s tobacco,” says one worker who wishes to remain anonymous, so as not to incur repercussions. “Diamond” is one of the most popular cigarettes on the “poor” market, also because of its good quality. The tobacco used to manufacture it is imported from Italy, while imports of foreign cigarettes for consumption have fallen by as much as 30 percent. Artur Korliku RARE THINGS FROM THE EXTRAORDINARY MERIT

KORÇË Bus attacked: Two passengers killed On page 5

FIER Bullets from a car kill two people On page 5

BERAT Gunfire punishes a love story On page 5

TIRANË Genocide: Presidential Process Resumes On page 5