Former Chief of Staff: “Kulla protected the Army depots” “This man deserves more. During the difficult days of March, he saved the State hundreds of thousands of dollars” Statement by the retired General: “I don’t need to know about his relations with the police; let the lawyers deal with that” TIRANA - Adem Çopani has once again expressed his thanks to Nehat Kulla. The former Army Chief of Staff recalled yesterday the difficult days of March and the protection of the weapons depots on the outskirts of Tirana. “Nehati deserves to be thanked again,” he told his newspaper. He described the high-ranking officer’s career, saying that the protection “provided by citizen Kulla and others to the depots during the days of March saved hundreds of thousands of dollars.” The Major General believes that people like him should be thanked for what they did in their own region, in the vicinity of facilities of great value to the State and its Defence. Çopani says he is not interested in Kulla as someone wanted by the police, but in citizen Nehat, who managed to stand by the depots containing huge quantities of weapons. “I have known other people like him, too,” says the general, who once again does not hesitate to thank them all. After the great danger to the depots containing huge quantities of weapons had passed, Adem Çopani once again praised Nehat Kulla. “After our first letter, he deserves even more.” This is how General Çopani commented on his expression of thanks. Referring to the letter he sent to the Minister of Justice on April 2, Çopani now goes further, following the events. “I respect his civic attitude toward property that belongs to us all,” he says. The senior general says he is indifferent to Nehat Kulla’s relations with law and order and the police. “Those things don’t interest me; I am talking about the Nehat of March,” says the careful former Chief of the Army General Staff. In his view, in matters of this kind it is better to let the lawyers deal with them rather than the same author who deals with weapons and topographical maps. Çopani says he has met Kulla in person only once. With huge quantities of weapons. But later, further information gradually clarified matters. “Kulla, together with the military commander of that region, had the opportunity to save us,” he says. “It cannot be denied that Çopani. But weeks later, the General would go with him to express his thanks in April. Confident in his judgment, Çopani now says that ‘Kulla deserved more than just a thank-you.’ He says he is not interested in Kulla’s relations with the State, but only in his position during that frightening April, when he took responsibility for the depots left to the mercy of fate. Çopani glosses over these relations Kulla has with the State and the institution in question, focusing instead on the man’s civic spirit. “What matters to me is that he was able to prevent a disastrous act, together with others.” For me, what prevails is the … in Tirana. The man who headed the Central Emergency Headquarters now recalls, from his home and retirement, the involvement and the endless anxiety over the fate of the Tujan depots. “That is why Kulla deserves more now,” says Çopani, unwilling to comment further. Rezaer Xhaxhiu General Adem Çopani Nehat Kulla MINISTRY OF DEFENCE Tirana, 02.04.1997 SUBJECT: On the protection of ammunition centres and weapons depots during the events of March 1997. TO THE MINISTER OF JUSTICE Mr. SHTETAKU NËGJELLA TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL Mr. ALUSH DRAGOSHI Dear ... MAJOR GENERAL ADEM ÇOPANI

BUÇPAPAJ OF “RD” TIRANA - Another tragic incident for people of the press. The “RD” journalist Mujo Buçpapaj was wounded yesterday by a stray bullet. Buçpapaj was out with his wife and child when, at around 18:40 yesterday, he was hit by a stray bullet. He was immediately taken to the hospital emergency department and is now out of danger. Yesterday at around 18:40, while returning home in the evening with his wife, “Rilindja Demokratike” journalist Mujo Buçpapaj stopped to buy bananas at a shop near Clinic 1. At that moment, two cars opened fire in their direction. The journalist escaped, but a stray bullet, ricocheting beneath the pavement, struck the “RD” journalist in the back. A passing car immediately picked him up and took him to the hospital emergency department.2 Yesterday the account was repeated. And at around 18:40, while returning home in the evening with his wife, “Rilindja Demokratike” journalist Mujo Buçpapaj stopped to buy bananas at a shop near Clinic 1. At that moment, two cars were ... of the police.

The President replies to the refugees’ letter TIRANA - Meidani asks the Italian authorities not to send Albanian emigrants back. “I hope that, in view of the difficult circumstances in Italy, there will be room, both in terms of time and humanity, for applying the law and finding the most appropriate solution for everyone,” Meidani writes in response to the illegal organization that Italy is expected to implement. Meidani has written to other emigrants as well to express his request to the Italian authorities. Meidani has used this letter to send his message about justice. President Meidani

VLORA / The No. 1 Commando VLORA - “We are asking for the city police station to be strengthened; then it will be easier for us to catch wanted people” - said the head of the special forces who came from Tirana. Fatmir Hakani is calling for the local police to be rebuilt; according to him, this will help restore public order. The specialists are also monitoring the operations in Vlora. The collection of weapons and arrest of wanted persons have become a daily ritual.

FOOTBALL TIRANA - A thrilling match at the France 98 stadium. Close, unexpected results, decided only at the end. Meanwhile, the talents and the final minutes proved extreme for our team. Three minutes before the end of the match, Haxhiu’s boys were punished. Likewise, a Bierhoff hat-trick within six minutes after Northern Ireland’s goal restored the ... at Vogs(t). Turkey, after a “series,” beat Wells 6–4. Denmark were punished by Bosnia, losing 0–3. On page 7

TONIGHT IN TIRANA Police megaphone: Hand in your weapons Two cars will circulate in public areas TIRANA - A police “spectacle” in Tirana. Two cars belonging to the Police Directorate will travel through all the public areas of the capital today, calling on citizens to hand in their weapons. For the first time, the police will make a public appeal through megaphones as part of the marathon campaign to hand in weapons. Music, messages and sounds conveying national loss, release and crime statistics will be the details of this unusual shock campaign. “This is an initiative of ours to raise public awareness of the importance of this weapons hand-in campaign,” one of the police officers told the newspaper yesterday. Since Monday. According to him, the two cars will travel along all the main roads of Tirana, the most crowded areas and the public squares. “This police car will thus serve throughout the day, with the aim of making the message heard by as many people as possible. The cassette has been prepared and recorded in cooperation with journalists from Radio and Television. According to police statistics, figures covering all aspects of crime will be made public. “We aim to reach as many listeners and citizens as possible,” says Th. According to him, once people are fully aware of the scale of the tragedy caused by weapons, they will react more quickly and positively.

The “Goethe” Institute, in cooperation with the German Embassy in Tirana, is organizing a German-language course for students and lecturers who have knowledge of German. The course is intended for students of German. Participation in the course will be determined on the basis of a test, which will take place on 05.09.1997. Registration is open from 01.09 to 04.09.1997 at the Department of German Language in the Faculty of Foreign Languages, Tirana, where you can obtain further information.