ILIR BOÇKA, FORMER MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, STATES: 1- “Until the moment when the Minister of Foreign Affairs made this announcement at the extraordinary meeting, I did not have the slightest idea that sophisticated eavesdropping equipment existed, as the minister described it. Indeed, even today, after several days have passed, I cannot say anything specific about this problem. 2- The minister before me did not tell me about anything of the kind either. 3- The former head of protocol at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Çifliku, who should have had these devices in his charge, told Minister Serreqi in a conversation that the previous minister had also known about them. This is not true. In the presence of several witnesses, he apparently said that he had told me in the final days of my time as minister that such equipment existed, which I do not accept as true. MUHAMET KAPLLANI, FORMER MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS: 1- It is an illegal, immoral and impermissible act. 2- I have no knowledge of whether these listening microphones existed. I suspect this is not something that happened in just the last few days. I would say not even in the last two months... What is this suspicion based on? When I was Foreign Minister during 1991, on two occasions an attempt was made to force open the office safe while I was on official business abroad. KOSTAQ ÇIFLIKU, 1- I made recordings in two reception rooms at the Ministry, not in the Minister’s office. 2- After some time, I asked Mr. Boçka what would be done with this recording office, but I received no answer from him. 3- As a rule, when a new minister arrives, the outgoing minister must hand over the office... Finally, Mr. Koçollari appealed for calm among the public, implying that everything had been needlessly exaggerated. What is the truth? Why don’t TV and A. Gurashi write to us and film the eavesdropper, instead of taking interviews out in the streets...?! BUJAR ISMAILI

ACCORDING TO THE SPOKESPERSON FOR THE FINANCIAL POLICE In recent days, the Tirana branch of the Financial Police, following a notification from the Tirana customs branch, conducted an inspection at the Alimpeks and Minergoimpeks enterprises. According to the alert from Tirana Customs and the inspection by the Tirana branch of the Financial Police, it emerged that during January–February 1992 Alimpeks had purchased 334 televisions and Minergoimpeks 47 refrigerators, which had evaded customs inspection and payment of customs duties. The Tirana branch of the Financial Police, in implementation of the law “On the Financial Police,” seized goods valued at 33,400 dollars. The directors of Alimpeks, Altin Ylli, and Minergoimpeks, Qazim Qazimi, were also fined for the offenses committed. A report concerning the above offenses was submitted to the investigative authorities.

. In recent days, the Tirana Financial Police, in cooperation with the customs branch, seized 3,100 liters of raki and 6,000 liters of wine. This quantity of goods was sent by the Jugo-vosje company of Skopje to the G.S.A. company in Tirana and entered our border on 5 March 1992. Contrary to regulations, the goods were taken into storage by Refrigeration Enterprise No. 3 on the orders of the enterprise’s director and were kept hidden in one of the enterprise’s warehouse areas for two months, until they were discovered by the Financial Police. Examination of the documents revealed that, for this quantity of goods from the Jugovosnje company of Skopje, invoices had been submitted bearing the same number and date but different values. These actions were taken to evade payment of customs duties; therefore, under the law “On the Financial Police,” the entire quantity of goods, valued at around 700,000 lekë, was seized, and this amount was transferred to the state budget. On the other hand...

On 6 February of this year, an inspection team made up of five people: S. Hyseni, A. Janku, P. Imaku and A. Sevrani, conducted an inspection at the Financial Police branch in the Tirana district, where, according to information received, there had been violations and perhaps even compromises. On 6 February of this year, an inspection team made up of five people—S. Hyseni, A. Janku, P. Imaku and A. Sevrani—conducted an inspection at the Financial Police branch in the Tirana district, where, according to information received, there had been violations and perhaps even compromises. On 24 March, the conclusions were completed, finding that the head of this branch, Mr. Dilaver Bengasi, should be dismissed for violating Decree No. 7463, dated 31.1.1991, “On the Financial Police.” Among the many facts in the inspection report, there are cases of flagrant abuse of authority by D. Bengasi. Arrogantly, without providing reasons and without any basis in a legal provision or directive from the Ministry of Finance, Mr. Bengasi reduced fines imposed on smugglers in 121 cases. Or, in somewhat more financial language, with a single stroke of his pen he forgave these people a total of 74,688 lekë (new lekë)! And there is more: smugglers are caught buying and selling foreign currency in violation of the laws in force, but he lets them off! For example, Decision No. 330 clearly shows this shady dealing on his part. He issued decisions and then overturned them on his own orders, without any convincing justification. For instance, under Decision No. 543, dated 28.6.1991, confiscated goods were “destroyed” by two financial inspectors without any destruction report! Where did these goods go? Who took them!? The police did not end up with them in their office, and neither did the person responsible for the offense—so who took them!? Entire sets of figures were falsified in substantial amounts, according to the inspection report, etc., but Mr. Bengasi refused to provide any explanation. There are plenty of other facts. Minister Ruli was therefore right to dismiss D. Bengasi. In the newspaper “RD,” on 29 April of this year, a short article about this case stated: “This is only the beginning of the reform.” The clear implication was that other corrupt officials and lawbreakers would be removed after him. Bengasi has some other matters on his record that he would do well to examine himself. During the events of 2 July 1990, he was chief of the Tirana police. He knows a great deal about the dead and about Mali me Gropa. He should therefore speak—or, better, speak up—about the role he played and about those who were his superiors. Still, there is time for him to talk. He can speak to the press, but he can also speak during an investigation...! Yet, strangely, as soon as Minister Ruli dismissed him, he was hired by the Minister of State Control, Mr. Çela. For what merits was Mr. Bengasi hired by State Control? How will he fight corruption and arrest people when he himself was dismissed for corruption?

In recent days, there have been moves, replacements, departures, resignations and staff dismissals in the PSD. What on earth has happened? And this after just one year of the Party’s existence?! Some time ago, journalist Marash Mirashi was the first to leave. After him, the other journalist, Sokol Muho, was dismissed. A few weeks later, Zef Shtej- (journalist), who covered the PSD’s organizational sector, suddenly left; immediately after him, the lawyer Artan Xhylbegu and a maneri (?) chairman Nimet Agoni left. Then came the departures of Faruk Myrtaj, from the editorial board of “Alternativa” SD, almost all aged 27–32, with the exception of N. Angoni. More reliable was one who had, on his own, outlasted the days of Z. Brapo Zguri, editor-in-chief of “Alternativa” SD. But what seems especially strange is the sudden departure of the Secretary General of PSDSH, Mr. Lisen Bashkurti. All this has happened in a short time, and almost immediately after the PSD managed to enter parliament. How is it possible for the Secretary General, one of the founders and principal builders of the PSD, to leave like this—not merely to go away, but to go abroad?! Could it simply be a desire to travel overseas? That is hard to believe, because Mr. Bashkurti is not someone who has never seen or does not know the world. What makes us even more doubtful about his departure is a long article published a few days ago by the chairman of this Party, Skënder Gjinushi, in which Mr. Bashkurti did not even appear as one of the founders of the PSD!!! How is it possible to distort facts that have been publicly witnessed and verified?! And why did Rr. Zguri leave so unexpectedly? So why have these young people left the PSD like this?! Who left and who stayed? Is this not an issue that should concern the whole party, and especially its Governing Council?! Or will people continue to be branded with other people’s labels, as the “Party” might say!

Following reports from citizens in the network about eggs that had turned bad, an inspection was carried out at the refrigerated warehouse to check the condition and storage of the eggs and whether they were being put on the market according to standards. The eggs in the refrigerated warehouse had been placed in rooms with high humidity and temperatures of 2–5°C and 0°C, whereas eggs must be stored at 0.05°C. When the eggs arrived (around 15 truckloads), the metal cold-storage facility, which has optimal conditions for storing eggs, was occupied by bananas belonging to a private “Greek” business, so these truckloads were unloaded into the large refrigerated warehouse. During the inspection of the warehouse supplying the market, the following was found: around 700 eggs were visibly spoiled, while there could have been more. In the end, the eggs were being put on the market without being checked with an ovoskop. For this violation of the Decree “On the Financial Police,” the director of the refrigerated warehouse, Mihallaq Stefani, was fined.

• SUNDAY, 21 JUNE, IS THE FEAST OF CORPUS CHRISTI • 29 JUNE IS THE FEAST OF SAINTS PETER AND PAUL HAPPY CELEBRATIONS, CATHOLIC BELIEVERS!

To all our contributors, and to those who send us letters from all the districts of Albania, we ask that you send us your contributions and letters, if possible, typewritten; if that is not possible, please write them clearly, since so far we have had difficulty reading many of them. THE EDITORIAL OFFICE