LATEST NEWS Gaz Demi’s car explodes Bomb attack with TNT against Nano’s man Explosive device - just hours before the SP Congress; it served as a shield for the patrons of the establishment. Meanwhile, uniformed police—

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Explosive device - just hours before the SP Congress - planted under Gazmend Demi’s car. A serious, covert attack took place yesterday at around 22:40, when an amount of TNT was placed beneath the car parked in front of the establishment owned by the businessman who stood by Nano while he was imprisoned in Bënçë. Fortunately, the explosion caused no casualties, but the luxury car was wrecked at the rear and several windows of the Ministry of Defense were broken. At the time of the explosion, inside the establishment, along with the owner, were Fino, Ruci and Nano’s close staff. According to police sources, several people quickly left before the gray Mercedes 6000, registration plate TR 5000 E, exploded. A quantity of around 300–400 grams of TNT, to which a solid material had been attached to concentrate the force of the blast, sent the heavy car into the air, terrorizing all the patrons inside the establishment and passers-by on the boulevard. Fortunately, the explosive’s blast was directed only toward the Ministry of Defense and not toward the “Lady Diana” establishment opposite it, on the side of “Rinia” Park. The car, thrown diagonally by the explosion, simultaneously served as a shield for the establishment’s patrons. Meanwhile, the blue uniforms who quickly arrived carried out the initial forensic examinations. Ten minutes after the attack, the road leading from the Court of Cassation to the main boulevard was covered with shards of glass broken from the windows of the Ministry of Defense. Besides the car apparently targeted by the attackers, another car, a Golf, was damaged; it had the misfortune of being parked nearby. Meanwhile, Demi’s establishment staff say that an hour before the attack, former Prime Minister Nano was inside, and other well-known socialist figures were also present. Gaz Demi is one of Tirana’s longest-established businessmen, who supported Nano for four years while he was serving his sentence in Bënçë prison. This is the second time his “Lady Diana” establishment has been the target of an explosion. The day before the partial local elections in June ’98, an explosive device went off at the rear of the establishment, causing only material damage. Meanwhile, the incident late in the evening targeting one of the former prime minister’s close associates is expected to cause a stir today during the proceedings of the Socialist Congress, where Nano is running against Majko for the post of Chairman of the SP. er.ta

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