PS leader seeks “ownership” of FRESSH: “The face must be changed” Page 3 Tense meeting. PS chairman spends three hours in the office with Majko and the head of the Socialist Youth

Not even the arrest of Vehbi Alimuça has managed to dispel the fog surrounding the truth about the financial pyramid schemes. Although, during the last election campaign, the Socialists were convinced that the borrowing companies were simply fraudsters tolerated by Berisha’s government, a full 10 months had to pass before the first arrest was made. The reasons for this delay remain a mystery, bearing in mind that two months ago Deputy Prime Minister Bashkim Fino declared before Parliament that all the borrowing companies were pyramid fraud schemes. Fino’s conclusions have cost Albanians 1.2 billion dollars, and the World Bank a further 3.5 million million solely for international investigations. Even these bills, although declared before Parliament by the government’s number two, did not seem very convincing to the prosecutors, who delayed issuing the arrest warrant for Alimuça by another 60 days. Nothing is yet known about the pharaohs of the other pyramid schemes, except that they are free and living on money stolen from Albanians. Even more unexpected was the court’s decision regarding the “boss” of VEFA: just 15 days in prison. It is difficult to understand whether the greasy railings of Vefa were touched by the prosecutors, judges, politicians, or all of them together. But the thousands of creditors neither want to, nor can, reason over fine details. They remember the declaration by the former opposition leader (now prime minister) that the money would be returned, and do not want to know whether the president, Parliament, or the justice system is the obstacle. Voters give their votes directly to parties, not to prosecutors, judges, or the president. Therefore, the party that received their votes and came to power must resolve such relations with the other branches of the state, in order to fulfill the promises that brought it to power. Sources inside the Prime Minister’s Office say that Nano’s transparency is being obstructed by the people he brought to power alongside himself. Many of the new brothers have already settled their own affairs with the pyramid schemes, having withdrawn money for themselves and their relatives over the last 10 months. This small group of people, exploiting their power, went beyond even Nano’s promise in Vlora to return as much of the money as possible, by putting the maximum of the maximum into their own pockets. When ordinary Albanians are compensated with only 15–20% of the capital they put into the pyramid schemes, publishing the lists of government officials who compensated themselves at 100% would be a major solution. Until then, perhaps the elections will come knocking again.

Pëllumbi: Opposing views against Nano should be officially recognized

Two speedboats collide; six others injured F 11

Police confiscate hundreds of files, computers and diskettes. Prosecution to the Court of Appeal: Alimucaj to remain behind bars permanently The prosecution’s decision. Experts spend 6 hours at the company headquarters The police seized all the documentation belonging to the VEFA company. In a five-hour operation during the previous night, hundreds of police officers, cars with sirens, and other vehicles from the Tirana Directorate carried out the order just signed by the prosecutors in the investigative group for the “VEFA” case. Financial documents, files, invoices, contracts, computers, and even secret diskettes were taken late the previous night from the company’s headquarters and office premises, and were later gathered at police facilities to undergo investigative procedures. Albanian soldiers discover cannon barrels on the northern border. Photo ARMANDO BABANI

Albanian soldiers reveal the gun emplacements on the northern border. Photo: ARMANDO BABANI

Tragedy in Otranto, four people die P. 11 The July 3 case. The King risks the death penalty Leka Zogu arrives in court P. 8 Greece, so far around 130,000 Albanians have obtained cards Legalization, until May 31 P. 15 Hysni Milloshi also among the communist delegation May 1, Nexhmije Hoxha in Brussels P. 16 Draft law on fraudulent companies ready Here is how the pyramid schemes will be sold P. 21 They live in shacks, changing the Italy of the 2000s “New Shkodra,” Milan’s ghetto