State Audit Office also penalizes his subordinates TIRANË - Gëzim Bleta must atone for his wrongdoings at customs by paying six months’ salary. This is the decision of the High State Audit, following an inspection it carried out at the customs branches of Tiranë, Durrës, Gjirokastër, Vlorë, Lezhë and Korçë, as well as at the General Directorate of Customs. Other officials were fined along with Bleta. The HSA sent the fines decision to the GDC on January 12 of this year, but since then the Director General of Customs has refused to enforce it. Bleta is currently in court against the HSA. The chief customs official won at first instance, while the case is now continuing at the Court of Appeal. On page 9

INTERVIEW/ Minister Kondi recounts the obstacles TIRANË - The Minister of Justice has his hands tied when it comes to carrying out a comprehensive reform of the judicial system. Although he has long accused the system of being corrupt, Kondi has been unable to undertake any “surgical intervention,” as he likes to call the removal of the incompetent and the bribe-takers. Meanwhile, Kondi is one of two independent ministers in the Nano cabinet and has recently had to face the Socialists’ obstacles regarding corruption in the courts. Nevertheless, the head of Justice says he is satisfied with his work so far and has normal working relations with the Prime Minister and the other members of the Government. On page 8

Koçi: Five well-known figures accused of being organizers “Azem Hajdari will be in the hands of Justice within a few hours” VAJGURORË BRIDGE MASSACRE / Investigator Sokol Koçiu names culprits among those in power “Two PS MPs are implicated in the tragedy at Ura Vajgurore”—the sensational claim came from the investigator in the case, Sokol Koçiu. In his capacity as head of the investigative team, Koçiu stated yesterday that progress in the investigation had brought new facts to light, including the involvement as organizers of two well-known figures from the Socialist Party. Five VIPs are believed to have been the main instigators of the nine murders that took place on June 17 of last year in the center of Ura Vajgurore. But before them, Azem Hajdari will be questioned. Named some time ago as one of the protagonists in the grave incident, he will soon... Berisha: I will fight alongside the KLA

Fassino, 210 billion lire TIRANË - “Albania is an absolute priority of Italian foreign policy in the East,” Fassino confirmed yesterday. He warned the Albanian authorities that aid would be provided only if they fought corruption. The Italian Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs signed a bilateral cooperation agreement with Meta yesterday, providing for the delivery of 210 billion lire in aid to Albania. On page 2 THE AUCTION

. The fourth resolution comes from the Albanian Assembly: “The Government must make serious preparations to defend the Homeland.” Solana: We will not decide to launch a NATO attack on Serbia. On page 3

ILIR BABARAMO The bundle of dollars that Turkish President Demirel placed in the hands of his Albanian counterpart Meidani was the starting point of a strange contest launched by the countries with the greatest interest in Albania in the region. The Turkish president gave $100,000 to the Kosovars who had arrived in Albania in recent months. Just one week later, Pangallos, the foreign minister of a country often locked in hostile rivalry with Turkey, came to Tiranë and gave $200,000 in cash to those fleeing the war in Kosovo. Fassino has also entered the auction, raising Italy’s offer to $300,000. Beyond humanitarian concern, their contest was merely an absurd display of strength driven by the interests of three of the most important countries in the region. All three have declared themselves ready to do their utmost to resolve the conflict in Kosovo. But none of them has offered anything more than the sums they gave to the displaced. The challenge they issued to one another resembles more the rivalry of three athletes who come across a beggar in the street than that of politicians seeking to resolve a crisis. None of those who visited Tiranë during this hot summer offered a clear option for putting an end to the Serbian massacres. They have repeated the same evasive statements that move Brussels officials every day. The Greeks, because of their historical ties with the Serbs. The Turks may fear that Kosovo could serve as a precedent for the Kurds, while the Italians still believe in their engagement in the Contact Group. The three political players who recently appeared in Tiranë represent countries that know better than anyone the rules of the game in the traditional Balkans. And their experience in Bosnia is enough for them to understand that any attempt whose sole aim is talks with Milosheviç is a waste of time. In this whole series of successive visits, it seems that what interests them most is cooperation with Albania. “The absolute priority of our foreign policy,” Fassino called Albania yesterday. This is nothing new. He echoed his chief Prodi, who some time ago declared on Italian television that the development of southern Italy depends on cooperation with Albania. Pangallos and Demirel also expressed themselves in similar terms during their visits to Tiranë. The Albanian market and its integration prospects were the arena in which their rivalry erupted. This contest was reflected in a crude way in the sums they offered to Albanians who had fled Kosovo under fire. Perhaps their effort was driven more by the desire to show who was more generous and powerful in helping the unfortunate than by a maximum commitment to extinguishing the fire that had broken out. The sums they offered look more like a small pang of conscience from those who committed the sin of passivity in the face of crime, and who sought to atone for it by making offerings in churches. Representatives of neighboring countries have always found themselves caught between Fatos Nano’s official demand for military intervention in Kosovo and the limited possibilities currently available for resolving the conflict. In any case, they seem more interested in who will control the Albanian market. Fassino mentioned that Italy had provided 40% of all aid for Albania’s recovery. Pangallos points out that Greece is the only EU country with territorial continuity with Albania, while Demirel is content to say, “the brotherly Albanian people.” Their competition in Albania has gone as far as an “auction” of dollars for those driven out of Kosovo.

For the first time, the surveillance of people reaches Parliament Espionage, now only by law Klosi: Politics, too, under surveillance TIRANA - The law on surveillance of Albanians, from which politicians will not be spared either. Very soon, a bill regulating the procedures for cases involving the monitoring and interception of Albanians will be passed in Parliament. The news was announced by the chairman of the SHIK and Public Order Commission, Ceka, during yesterday’s parliamentary session, and was also confirmed by the head of SHIK, Fatos Klosi. “Everyone who threatens national security will be placed under surveillance,” Klosi declared, making no distinction between politicians and ordinary people. On page 2

Secretaries: No changes TIRANA - Pëllumbi declared war on the SP in September. The former Socialist deputy chairman has stated that he will radicalize his political action at the beginning of autumn, tired and angry after a year of nothing but negative responses from the SP secretaries to his demands. The two Socialist leaders have also dashed the Professor’s hopes of convening not only the Congress, but even a conference. On page 3

Tiranë NEWSPAPER On page 6 Durrës NEWSPAPER Holidays bring a flood of refugees to the port On page 6 Shkodër NEWSPAPER Fierza fire leaves the city in darkness On page 6