The government orders the freezing of 250 million dollars belonging to the foundations. Arrests at “Gjallica” Opposition: On Sunday, against the pyramid schemes, in Skanderbeg Square The government orders the freezing of 250 million dollars belonging to the foundations. Arrests at “Gjallica” “Populli” and “Xhaferri” shut down Opposition: On Sunday, against the pyramid schemes, in Skanderbeg Square pages 2–3, 7

Last night the Albanian government showed that it intends to make a definitive break with the pyramid schemes. In a statement read on television, the Meksi cabinet, which has been mentioned very frequently in recent days at the crowded counters of the bankrupt firms, froze the capital of the charitable foundations until the Pelingu commission communicates the findings of its investigations into their finances. Meanwhile, television, on whose screen nothing appears by chance, interviewed the President of the Court of Cassation about how citizens should sue the firms in court. This is one way of showing hundreds of thousands of clients what they can do, starting tomorrow. It is easy to understand that, when it speaks of foundations, the government’s decision has Populli and Xhaferri in mind. According to the text read out, the amount of money they have in the bank is 25 billion new lekë, or around 250 million dollars. The deposits of the large lending companies, which nevertheless did not appear in the television report prepared “about companies engaged in productive activity,” have meanwhile been left unfrozen. The Albanian state is playing a great comedy with its citizens. Five years after the pyramid schemes appeared on the horizon, state officials, law-enforcement officials and judicial officials are discovering that these are illegal activities and that citizens should prepare their lawsuits. The government that came to power through the promotion of the pyramid schemes is thus betraying those who unjustly left it at Albania’s head for another four years. Suddenly, television has spoken of a worrying phenomenon, while the government has met in an emergency session. The comedy we watched “live” last night is being played out on all our backs. The stones thrown at the Vlora municipality were merely the final act of a rally that had been announced long ago. The people of Vlora knew that the number-one official of their city had not refused help from the firms during the election campaign. Albanians also know very well that this happened throughout the country. Now, when everything is tragically going downhill, our leaders have no reason to pretend they know nothing, presenting Sude with pieces of paper saying that she had supposedly committed fraud. Now all that remains of Sude are the lists of clients. Those records contain several tens of millions of dollars. Since the government failed to prevent this money from disappearing [as if] into the hooks of the pyramid, let it at least block the documentation, so that no further tragedies occur. On the other hand, the whole short, 24-hour story of the fall of the female moneylender—from the summit of Olympus to the cells of police stations—looks set to be repeated in the near future. The government’s current position, if it remains unchanged in the coming days, presages a storm. Let us see whether, alongside some bankrupt boss, there will also be a state official. K.J. Circulation of “Koha Jonë” for today: 52,500 copies

Police intervene against demonstrators in Vlora

From 2 to 3 lekë for everyone The editorial office of the newspaper “Koha Jonë,” taking into account the sharp increase in the circulation of “Koha Jonë” from 30,000 to 52,500 copies a day, informs all newspaper vendors that, starting on 20 January 1997 and thereafter, they will receive 10% of the newspaper’s sale price, that is, 3 lekë (new) per newspaper.