Prosecutor’s Office: “We have no case file on the former President” “Berisha has never been summoned over the pyramid schemes. He cannot be accused; the law does not allow it” INTERVIEW / Investigator Arben Kraj[a?] speaks: “Here are the documents I have” Sali Berisha TIRANA - “Berisha under investigation over the pyramid schemes? At the General Prosecutor’s Office there is no separate case file investigating the former President”. This statement was made yesterday evening by Arben Kraja, the prosecutor assigned by the General Prosecutor’s Office to investigate the case concerning the pyramid companies. Only one day earlier, official sources had stated that Berisha was being investigated over the pyramid schemes. The current leader of the DP, for his part, has accused the Government of being “a government of case files”. Meanwhile, Kraja explains the other truths contained in the large case file. More than 100 pages [...] or the former Governor should have taken the appropriate legal measures in order to prevent this illegal activity in time. Nevertheless, up to the present stage of the investigation, the Prosecutor’s Office has not concluded that any senior state official, whoever they may be, should be charged. It should be clarified that the investigation in this proceeding did not begin now, but in February 1997, concerning these matters. After the investigation into “Xhaferi” was completed and he was sent to trial, the materials concerning this problematic matter were placed in a separate case file. The Prosecutor’s Office has [...] [The text begins cut off at the top.] ...by the Prosecutor’s Office, registered ... to investigate the file on pyramid schemes. Just one day earlier, official sources stated that Berisha was under investigation for usury. But yesterday, the current leader of the DP accused the Government of being “a government of files.” Meanwhile, Kraja explains other facts contained in the large file of more than 100 pages. What is Berisha’s connection to usury? How far has your investigation progressed? “There is nothing of particular note at the General Prosecutor’s Office being investigated in relation to Sali Berisha. It should be clarified that this case file was separated some time ago from the pyramid-scheme file and is being investigated with regard to senior government officials from the previous Government. On February 25 of this year, I asked the former Governor of the Bank, Kristaq Luarasi, to provide me with all his correspondence with senior state officials. And on February 28, that is, three days later, the former Governor brought it all to me. The former Prime Minister, the former Ministers of Finance. Thus, the Tirana court corps representative in court, the court [unclear wording] unacceptable leaving the matter unresolved. [Partly illegible] ... Arian Çani

IN GREECE Has the head of the Bank fled? Tusha TIRANA - The Governor’s chair at the Bank of Albania is empty. It is still unclear who it belongs to. The proposal by the Supervisory Council to replace Qamil Tusha with Shekqim Cani as the number one official of the banking system has not yet been decreed by President Meidani. Meanwhile, Tusha has been in Greece for two days. Some say he is there on holiday. Others say he is attending a meeting of bankers, naturally in his capacity as Governor of the Bank [...] legally, Tusha is the Governor. The institution currently left without a governor is the Bank of Albania. Cani has set foot there only when the Supervisory Council meeting was held. The old and new supervisors met a few days ago and made a very important decision. However, the new supervisors themselves have not been decreed by the President. Parliament voted on a new law on the Bank, under which the number of members of the Supervisory Council changed from 7 to 9. The opposition reacted strongly to the new law, saying that it seriously undermined the independence of this institution. A few days later Parliament voted for the three new supervisors, among them Shkëlqim Cani. So far, President Meidani has decreed only two changes to the Bank, but not the supervisors later elected by Parliament. Perhaps this decree is only a formality, but without the President’s signature the changes do not acquire legal force. In any case, at a time when an IMF mission has arrived in Tirana calling for privatization of the banking system and more effective use [of it], the Bank of Albania has been left without a governor.

Yesterday’s decision TIRANA - The pharaohs of the pyramid schemes are toppled from their thrones. Each pyramid company will be run by three administrators appointed by the Government at its latest meeting. Vefa tops the list. The Council of Ministers is expected to appoint administrators for “Beno” and “Global Foods” as well. The Government has also chosen seven reserve administrators to replace any who may leave. The administrators are expected to start work next week. In any case, they are temporary, until the IMF and the World Bank appoint foreign firms to audit the rentier companies. The IMF continues to insist: close down the pyramid schemes. The opposition is sceptical: the Government cannot ensure transparency. Meanwhile, the Chairman of Parliament’s Economy Committee, Anastas Angjeli, is demanding that the Finance Minister be held accountable by the Government for what is being done to investigate the pyramid schemes. On page 3

THE BATTLE OF ELBASAN ELBASAN - War in Elbasan. Gangs cause six victims. Among them are three police officers. The Elbasan police director makes serious accusations against the Prosecutor’s Office and the court. The people who caused the tragedy had been released 15 days earlier. The exchange of gunfire between the gangs took place at 19:15. One person was killed and two others wounded; then the police went to the scene, as did the person at the base of one of the gangs. The siege and exchange of gunfire continued until 6:00 in the morning, at which time the three wanted men escaped. The police continue to investigate the incident and to try to capture the suspected individuals. Special forces from Tirana also came to assist the police. The three-storey villa [?] was under surveillance the whole time. On page 5 Policeman Hysi, struck by an anti-tank weapon in yesterday’s battle in Elbasan (Photo: Plator Ilo)

The opposition’s new position: “We will enter the South, even at a cost” “The Sant’Egidio agreement has been violated” TIRANA - The PD walks out of the session of the Parliamentary Committees. “The Sant’Egidio agreement has been violated.” This was the official justification issued the previous day after the PD’s important session. Meanwhile, the mediators repeated Berisha’s words, “Our decision stems from the Sant’Egidio agreement”; he was replying to the Republican Godici, who had supported the Democrats’ latest political decision. With the chairmanship of only 3 of the 13 committees in Parliament, the PD argued that the agreement of 23 June had not been respected, and so they are breaking with their committee colleagues. The Group’s decision was also embraced by Parliament’s Deputy Speaker Jozefina Topalli, who will not take the seat next to Gjinushi. The Democrats have also requested that the San Egidio Community’s area be reviewed again, a request which the Socialists have treated with indifference. Meanwhile, within a 24-hour period, Berisha also convened the Group yesterday. The political group that will organize the PD Congress discussed late into the night the Party’s organizational future, the activities carried out and the strategy for the offensive towards the South. “The PD will enter the South at any cost, even if sacrifices are required,” declared yesterday the PD’s spokesperson, Agro Balaj. According to Bala, the PD will under no circumstances become a regional party, as the Socialists allegedly want to turn it into. The political group also set out the plans and strategy for the Democrats’ push towards the South. Reorganization of structures, appointment of a [...] and leadership of the PD movement in high-risk areas. PD headquarters

It is being asked to pay $21,000 in compensation TIRANA. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in court. It will appear as the representative of the Italian Embassy in a trial it has been involved in... with an Albanian citizen over a property matter. Under the Vienna Convention, the Embassy is not allowed to appear in court unless it wishes to. Thus, the Tirana court has summoned the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to court to represent the Italian diplomatic corps. On Wednesday, August 27, a trial over a property matter between citizen Shahin Vrioni and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was held at the Tirana Court of Appeal. The case file has been circulating through the Tirana courts for a year. What has caused controversy is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ presence at this trial. The case began in July 1991, when the Italian Embassy erected a fence around its buildings without a permit. Of this area, which was fenced off without the approval of the Albanian state, 1,750 m2 belong to citizen Shahin Vrioni. This portion of land was awarded to its owner in March 1996 by a decision of the Property Restitution Commission. Nevertheless, the Embassy refused to return the land to its owner in accordance with the commission’s decision. The landowner therefore sued the Italian Embassy. Since the judge had an Italian diplomatic corps representative in court, the court summoned the Albanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Tirana as its representative. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is now being asked to pay a sum of about $21,000, which is unacceptable when considered under Albanian law. This has caused concern at the institution, leaving the matter unresolved. The Italian Embassy in Tirana

VLORA — An adventure involving Albanian undocumented migrants. Sixty of them were returned yesterday by Italian police aboard the “Iliria” ferry, but during the sea crossing, people listed as passengers began stealing. An alarm over missing belongings prompted the Italians to take action; when the ferry reached the port of Vlora, they thoroughly searched every passenger. It seems the Albanians insist on setting foot again on neighboring soil, while the Italian government insists on sending them back. The 60 Albanians were stopped on Thursday, before even disembarking from their means of transport — by then already turned into a “myth” aboard a speedboat. Detained at the port of Brindisi, they were immediately ordered returned by the police forces of Puglia. All of them, lacking the necessary documents and bearing the label of undocumented migrants, were sent back to Albania by the Italian side in accordance with the rules. Then the “Iliria” ferry carried the Albanian undocumented migrants back to the port of Vlora, where they returned. In addition, during the journey back to Albania, the “Iliria” ferry fell victim to the thieving hand of a passenger hidden under the guise of a traveler. At the ferry’s stop, [unclear] ... the journey, [unclear] ... the Albanian police forces were called in over the theft. [Unclear] ... The ferry’s kitchen had also been affected, its equipment and furnishings [having been tampered with/stolen]. When the police came aboard, everyone travelling on the “Iliria” had to undergo a thorough police search. While the undocumented migrants experienced an adventure aboard the ferry, they disembarked calmly on Albanian soil. Albanian refugees

“Gazeta Shqiptare” is seeking correspondents in the cities of Berat, Burrel, Laç, Përmet and Tropojë. Interested applicants should contact us at the following telephone numbers: 626-46, 638-85, 638-55.