Court: 7 years in prison, 15 years as a person “non grata” TIRANA - Hajdin Sejdia earns the title of person “non grata” in Switzerland. A court ruling, issued this April by the court in Bern, sentences the “father” of Albanian mobsters to stay off Swiss territory for at least 15 years. Immediately afterward, his lawyer in Albania, Dildzan, declares that there is no negative impact on the Albanian projects, which are ready and expected to be implemented. The charges of fraud brought by the Economic Crime Court in Bern were based on evidence involving a sum of 18 million Swiss francs, which he took from 11 companies. The latter had asked Sejdia for financial loans for their billion-lek projects. On page 4

Protest at the hotel where they are guarded by Albanian police TIRANA - Yugoslav deserters are rebelling. For two weeks, the seven soldiers who surrendered at the border have been waiting to be repatriated, staying at one of Tirana’s hotels under guard by police in blue uniforms. Since they have not opted for political asylum, their only request has been to return home or go to Germany, where their relatives are. But the Albanian authorities or OSCE representatives, who are responsible for protecting those who surrendered, had not given any response by yesterday. In this situation, the young men protested, saying they had been forgotten and locked in their hotel rooms. Their agitation has led to a greater police presence, with officers on 24-hour duty nearby for fear of an attack. On page 2

The Prime Minister backs the head of Finance. Bufi, Rama and Imami call for greater transparency Smuggling: Nano questions the ministers The Bleta scandal splits the PS. Koçi: He should be dismissed. Malaj: It is terror Now investigations into the private assets of all customs officers TIRANA—Nano faces the Gordian knot of the debate over smuggling. He asked all cabinet members to state their official positions on the issue at the Government meeting held yesterday at midday. Nano himself has sided with Malaj. Indeed, he voiced the same arguments the minister had used at a press conference an hour earlier. “It is regrettable that the mentality of politicizing and keeping the administration under the table prevails over efforts to build institutions,” Nano told the ministers. “I am pleased that the Prosecution has launched an investigation; it is now the government’s turn to take administrative measures against those responsible.” After three days, Petro Koçi has issued the first response from the socialist camp regarding the opening of criminal proceedings against the head of customs, Gëzim Bleta. TIRANA - Malaj warns of a storm for customs and taxes. “The current employees will be tested no later than September 15,” the Finance Minister declared at a press conference yesterday. In addition, employees of Malaj’s department will be deprived of compensation as part of the transparency process. Malaj announced that he would ask the Prime Minister to have the Public Administration Department verify all current administration employees under the Ministry of Finance. According to Minister Malaj, the list of all customs and tax employees who have worked in these institutions since 1992 will be handed over to the Group for the Supervision of Pyramid Firms. The aim of this measure is to ensure

ANOTHER SERIOUS VIOLATION OF THE ALBANIAN BORDER Serbian massacre near Kukës 3 Albanians killed, 3 others taken hostage One of the victims of Serbian terror KUKËS - Serbian bullets killed people on Albanian soil. A few metres from the border line, on our soil, three Kukës villagers were killed in the early hours of the morning. But it did not end there. It is said that three others were also taken prisoner. Although nothing has yet been officially confirmed, since no news had come by late morning from the crime-scene experts who went to the remote border area, the villagers of the area have confirmed this, and also raised the alarm with the police. New victims in the Albanian-Serbian border belt. Our failure to demand explanations for the military incursion into our territory by Serbian commanders a few days ago seems to have given the Serbs a free hand to act. And the situation is deteriorating by the day. On page 2

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Tirana, kills colleague and wounds two others Until late last night he was still surrounded in the house on the outskirts The outskirts of Tirana are bloodied. After a personal quarrel, a policeman shoots his colleague and then barricades himself in a house, taking two children hostage. A large police force surrounded the building, but during attempts to stop the “rebel,” two officers in uniform were wounded, and then another was killed. The siege continued until late at night, and the two children were released. On page 5

DURRËS - A pile of weapons in the ferry terminal. A considerable quantity of heavy and light weapons was seized yesterday by customs police in the port terminal of Durrës. The weapons had been sealed inside a red van with foreign plates, which had disembarked from one of the many ferries arriving from Ancona, Italy. On page 8

VLORE - The battle over Uji i Ftohtë is restarting. Ownership of the land continues to cause problems for the villagers. Because of bad laws or officials, recently the residents of the Uji i Ftohtë area have brought accusations against the state and the politicians and MPs of this area, and have filed dozens of lawsuits against one another, which continue to drag on indefinitely, always over the same issue: land. On page 7

SHKODËR - The integration of Shkodran women into the business world and a change in the treatment of children with mental and physical disabilities have become part of the plans of Italian non-governmental organizations. The CTM-MOVIMONDO Association, through its president Vinicio Russo and coordinator Antonio Ricciarito, presented the two projects to the Prefect of Shkodër, Ali Laçi. On page 6

USA criticizes the decision TIRANË - Debate within the PD over the boycott of Parliament. “It is a definitive break with a Parliament that oppresses the opposition,” Sali Berisha, leader of the Democratic Party, said yesterday. According to Berisha, there is now no question of PD MPs returning to their seats in Parliament, following a majority vote taken by the National Council. But yesterday, Democrats who did not fully agree with the final boycott of Parliament also reacted. “We will continue our contacts with the institutions.” Meanwhile, the anti-parliamentary atmosphere heated up yesterday afternoon when Democrats went out to ‘Skënderbej’ Square to gauge the electorate’s mood. More than five thousand citizens cheered Berisha and Pollo as they called for the Government to be brought down. On page 3

One of the victims of Serbian terror