This is the strategy prepared by the lawyers to clear the socialist leader of the charges Aid scandal: 1,000 secret pages in the Prime Minister’s hands Braho: We took the documents to hide them from the Tirana Court This is the strategy prepared by the lawyers to clear the socialist leader of the charges How we smuggled the Nano file out of Italy Aid scandal: 1,000 secret pages in the Prime Minister’s hands Braho: We took the documents to hide them from the Tirana Court TIRANA - Spartak Braho reveals for the first time how Nano’s lawyers “snatched” the original documents from the Rome Prosecutor’s Office. There are around 1,000 pages which, if they had been used, could have cleared the socialist leader of the charges earlier. But, at Nano’s own request, a good part of them was left to be used later, “when the courts were truly independent.” Braho’s story begins in ’93, when, one day after Blerim Çela’s denunciation in the Albanian Parliament, he met in Bari Xhuzepe Perniola, the boss of Levant & Co and another major defendant in Italy. It continues through his meetings with Italian prosecutor Barbieri and culminates in his obtaining possession of the 1,000 original pages that would have freed Nano under different circumstances. In this context, bringing them to Albania would itself be an adventure, as would be the story of how the document escaped the hands of the Albanian police, who had set an ambush for him in Durrës at the time. The materials now make up a complete file in the hands of Sianxhukut which, according to Braho, fully proves the innocence of the PS leader.

TIRANA - Journalists risk prison for carrying out their profession. Article 30 of the law on state secrets could prove fatal for journalists. The penalties range from a fine to three years in prison for those who publish material classified as secret. The draft law was discussed yesterday in the Legal Affairs Committee. On page 3

The authors of the law on secrets should be the first to act according to the saying, “the fence-keeper protects the vineyard.” Those who reveal state secrets are expected to be punished almost as severely as those whom the law obliges to keep them, as well as journalists who may publish them. But a country’s administration cannot be a vineyard. One of the pillars on which a democratic state is built is the right to be informed. Yet a state cannot be conceived without its secrets either. The obligations to the public have long been divided. The press has a mission to inform, even about events from several decades ago. Journalists could be sentenced to up to three years’ imprisonment, perhaps without even knowing that they are publishing news that may constitute a secret. Under the law that has been drafted, their punishment is almost the same as that of officials whose duty it is to protect those secrets. The absurdity goes even further. According to the drafted law, every relevant institution has the right to classify any document in its possession as confidential, secret, or top secret. And this will be done without any other means. Nobody can... It cannot truly be a properly run administration. built is the right to be informed. But a state cannot be conceived without its secrets either. Obligations to the public have been distinguished for a long time. The press has a mission to inform. Those entrusted with secrets are responsible for safeguarding them. The principle “reason of state above all” died along with Richelieu, who conceived it three and a half centuries ago. The state is once again beginning to show journalists the handcuffs. Four years ago, a journalist and the editor-in-chief of Tirana’s largest daily were imprisoned merely because they published the news that an officer had been forced to leave his personal weapons in the barracks. Their imprisonment was strongly condemned by all international institutions, and the opposition of that time also strongly opposed it—precisely the opposition now drafting the law that could have serious consequences for press freedom. The paranoia of those who drafted this bill is even below the democratic standard offered by customary law. “The messenger bears no responsibility,” says the Kanun under which Albanians governed themselves. Albanians governed themselves. Now the administration of a country cannot be true. Albanians governed themselves. Another pillar of the democratic state half centuries ago.

ULTIMATUM: THE MONEY, OR WE WON’T VOTE FOR THE CONSTITUTION TIRANA - The Vlora Committee is back. Once again, it is demanding the return of the money and the punishment of those responsible for last year’s March tragedy. Representatives of the Committee met yesterday with the Speaker of Parliament, the Prosecutor General of the Republic, Finance Minister Arben Malaj, Chief Administrator Arapi, and others. The people of Vlora have issued an ultimatum to the country’s leaders: resolve the pyramid-scheme problem and hold those responsible for the March unrest accountable, or there will be no votes for the constitution. “The pyramid-scheme issue and March ’97 were the two matters we discussed,” Albert Shyti from Vlora confirmed yesterday to Gazeta Shqiptare. On page 2 From the pyramid-scheme protests in Vlora

Starting today in “Gazeta Shqiptare” Starting today, “Gazeta Shqiptare” will have its first editorial director: the publisher has chosen Andi Bejtja, a well-known and respected colleague throughout Albania who needs no introduction. In fact, we should explain something about the role of an editorial director, a new professional position in the Albanian press. The editorial director’s role is to guarantee, through contributions of ideas and expertise, the cultural growth of our newspaper, while ensuring its ever-growing presence in the Albanian press market every day. “Gazeta Shqiptare” wants to contribute increasingly to Albania’s development by exposing what does not work and recognizing what does, encouraging ideas, respecting history, and always looking toward the future. The publisher has entrusted the position to Andi Bejtja, who will work in close cooperation with the new editor-in-chief, to be appointed within the next few days, thereby ensuring respect for the line of absolute independence that “Gazeta Shqiptare” has always maintained and intends to maintain in the future.

The Order Committee discusses disarmament. Arbnori: Albanians should not surrender their weapons Scandals and executions flow in sh... The Order Committee discusses disarmament. Arbnori: Albanians should not surrender their weapons. TIRANA - The unconditional disarmament bill is ready, but the opposition has declared itself against it. “Weapons should be registered and handed in wherever the police authorities designate,” Pjetër Arbnori said yesterday. Only politicians and businesspeople will be granted gun permits. Residents of border villages will also be added to this category and issued special permits by the local police. Everyone else will be required to surrender their weapons; otherwise, the police will raid citizens’ homes without a court order. The disarmament bill was finalized yesterday following the latest discussion in the Order, SHIK and Defense Committee. The law removes all barriers preventing the uniformed police from searching the homes of citizens who do not wish to surrender their weapons. On page 2

8-year-old child killed LEZHË / Two other refugees seriously injured A group of Kosovar refugees were attacked by bandits on the outskirts of Shkodër. They had arrived from Montenegro just a few hours earlier, heading toward Buna, and, going via Velipoja, had set out for Lezhë to visit one of their cousins. But an armed group of robbers cut them off along the way and opened fire on them, killing an 8-year-old child and seriously injuring four others. On page 4 Kosovar refugees

LIST OF PRIZES WON IN THE DRAW OF 02.08.1998 AT TELEBINGO KOMBETARE MINI-BINGO PRIZE All tickets bearing No. 24 win the Mini-Bingo prize worth 4,000 lekë They qualify to compete for the Grand Prizes GRAND PRIZES They qualify to compete for the Grand Prizes. Ticket No. 24 Series 760; Ticket No. 24 Series 780; Ticket No. 24 Series 704 The 3 winners above will compete against one another next Sunday, on 06.09.1998, to share 3 Grand Prizes: TELE-BINGO 4,000,000 LEKE MAGIC-BINGO 1 CAR, WOLKSWAGEN, POLO STAR-BINGO A TOURIST TRIP FOR A COUPLE, FOR 6 DAYS SUPPLEMENTARY PRIZES: All tickets in Series 764 win the fifth supplementary prize, worth 60 lekë All tickets in Series 742 win the fourth supplementary prize, worth 120 lekë All tickets in Series 739 win the third supplementary prize, worth 180 lekë All tickets in Series 781 win the second supplementary prize, worth 240 lekë All tickets in Series 709 win the first supplementary prize, worth 300 lekë Winners of the Supplementary and Mini-Bingo prizes can collect them at any Tele-Bingo or Toto-Futboll sales point. For the next draw, dated 06 September 1998, 100 series numbered 001-100 have been put on sale. Winners of the grand prizes dated 02 August ’98 will appear to compete on 06.09.1998

GAZETA of Tirana Dynamite at Koco Dado’s house On page 5 GAZETA of Durrës A public fountain for the thirsty On page 7 GAZETA of Shkodër “We went bankrupt because of the Bulgarians” On page 6