Announcement by the Spokesperson of the Ministry of Public Order On 22 August, at around 10:30, in the village of Mushan in the district of Shkodër, Sadik Rexho Erkoçi, 30, an officer in the Laç division, and his cousin, Daut Shyqo Erkoçi, also 30, a resident of the village of Mushan, were suddenly shot with an automatic weapon while on their way to bathe in the river. Having received the report, the Public Order Department of the Shkodër district dispatched a rapid-response team and an investigative team to the scene, where they were confronted with an apparently motiveless crime. However, the perpetrator was identified very quickly, just one hour later. He was Gëzim Musa Sadiku. The murders were committed for trivial reasons. The border post was notified, and a search began of the area where the criminal was suspected of hiding. At Shkëndër Mehmemtaj’s house, 40 sticks of dynamite, 5 automatic-rifle cartridges, and one meter of detonating cord were found. While the police were carrying out the above actions, the criminal, concealed, fired a firearm at the law-enforcement forces. The place where he was located was immediately surrounded. Meanwhile, in a swift operation, the police apprehended Enver Mehmeti, an accomplice of the criminal, who was going to his aid from behind the law-enforcement forces, armed with a German rifle and 60 cartridges. Under these circumstances, the Shkodër district Public Order Department requested assistance from the special forces unit for neutralizing armed elements. The Minister of Public Order, Agron Musaraj, and the Director of Public Order Police, Agim Shehu, also immediately went to the scene. At around 16:30, several searches were conducted at houses where the criminal was suspected to be, and it was established that he was in Kol Juba’s house. The police repeatedly called on him to surrender, but he responded only with bursts of automatic gunfire. Some police officers then broke down the door and, after a brief exchange of fire, the 22-year-old police officer Arben Nikoll Ujka and the criminal Gëzim Musa Sadiku were killed on the spot. Employees of the Ministry of Public Order, deeply outraged by such monstrous acts, call on all honest people not to inflame passions and, above all, not to support criminals of this kind, who cause profound human suffering and wounds that shock everyone, young and old. Spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Order LUDMILLA PAJO Tirana, 23. 8. 1993

“Open the files,” “do not open the files”—this has been one of the dilemmas that arose in the first days of democratic government. Since then, these calls, sometimes measured, sometimes shouted, sometimes naïve, sometimes provocative, have been heard from all sides. But especially lately, all the hardened dregs of the dictatorship, wearing “caps and berets” in the streets, cafés, parks, or at “rallies,” have not stopped barking: “Open the files!” And when a conversation partner, or anyone who hears them, says nothing, trying to understand what on earth they want, they think they have found their opponent’s “Achilles’ heel” and taunt them: “You don’t dare, eh? Open the files!” Most of these old fools—not because of their age, but because of their brains—do not know what they are asking for. They repeat like parrots what they have heard from the political opportunists who lead their parties and their press. But what are “biographies” and “files” really, and should they be opened? Files are the offspring of dictatorships, and of the communist dictatorship in particular. Dictatorships themselves are of two kinds: dictatorships that do not violate the right to private property, and dictatorships that abolish that property. The latter, by abolishing private property, shatter the foundation of all human freedoms, and they do so knowingly, because they understand perfectly well that in order to rule and enslave a people, first one must meet... [continues beyond the frame] “... there was no one he would have arrested in Albania whom Nevzat would not have devised something new to torture”... or the man they had sent to the “Soviet Union and China” to exchange experience, but he left his Chinese “comrades” speechless... They said they had nothing to teach this “genius” in the field of torture and thanked him by presenting him, as a token of gratitude, with a book of sketches of tortures used during the “Ming” dynasty. Further on: “In 1974 the dictator summoned Nevzat from Elbasan, where he was serving as head of the Department of Internal Affairs, to make him an interrogator of the ‘army witnesses.’ Begir Balluku, Petrit Dume and Hito Çako... among them he used the tortures of the Ming dynasty, as he knew how.” Anything may be written in this man’s file, but not these things—and this is proved by the fact that, in reward for all these services, “the dictatorship gave him a villa on Tefta Tashko Street and a special pension” (p. 80 of the cited book). Look at the “works” of E. Hoxha, which are his written “biography” and “files”: they are the absolute opposite of the truth. Even his date of birth is questionable. It is generally said that he was born on 16 October 1908, but a school register says he was born on 3 October, while the police headquarters’ records (supposedly a document in which he was sentenced to death) indicate that he was born in 1918! Then read the book “I, Ramiz Alia, testify... about history,” and it is hard to decide which of these two is the master and which the apprentice in the craft of lying and slander. The file of the former prisoner of conscience K. H., who spent a full 33 years in prison, is said to contain a “statement” in which he supposedly admits that, on one occasion, he played the role of “informing on his cellmates.” Let us assume this is entirely true. If this file were opened now, which person would be condemned: the one who spent 33 years in the hell of communist prisons, or the interrogators, judges, and other criminals who tortured and dehumanized him to such an extent that he even slandered his fellow sufferers? Therefore, the files must be opened, even in their slandered and falsified form: they are evidence of the dictatorship’s crimes. The files—or whatever remains of them—must absolutely be opened, and all the criminals who wrote, fabricated, and falsified them must answer to justice and receive the punishment they deserve. They must no longer dare to shout “Open the files!” in order to deceive people, even when they understand this monstrous invention of their rule. Playing games with the files is the criminal tactic of yesterday’s persecutors, designed to keep their victims in fear and torment. It is a diabolical manoeuvre to escape punishment. The “files” tactic also suits certain dubious, careerist types in disguise. The files are the shame and crime of the dictatorship. The victims have no reason to fear the opening of the files. in general of two kinds: dictatorships that do not infringe property. The latter, by abolishing private property, demolish knowingly, because they know very well that to rule and enslave a people, they must first turn them into beggars. Only this kind of dictatorship produces monsters such as Josif Stalini and Enver Hoxha. The «files» were invented and «perfected» during the fifty years of «people’s power». The «final touches» were put to them during 1990–1992, when this «power» was in its death throes. The files were opened and «filled» personally by party and state leaders, personnel chiefs, investigators, prosecutors, judges, commissars, security-service employees, and a whole host of moral and psychological wrecks of the communist state. There are two kinds of files: those for the «elite» and the regime’s officials, and files on their enemies. The second category of files is full of slander and fabrications intended to destroy them. The dictatorship created the files against the victims’ wishes, that is, against its enemies. So what is expected to be revealed by these files? Let us offer a few facts from the «living files». The book «Mandeli e Shqipërisë», on page 39, testifies: «The late Enver Sazani, with whom I spent several days in a cell, told me that the investigator Mihallag Ziqishti had burned his eyes with cigarettes until he had obtained his confession that he was an Anglo-American-French agent». Now imagine the file of the criminal investigator and that of the victim sentenced to death. Do you really believe you will find these macabre facts in them? Can one imagine that N. Haxhendari’s file says: «For every group of “enemies”— —ism” and its written the date of birth is dubious. It has generally been while a document from the police headquarters (the very document in which he was sentenced to death) says he was born in 1918! Then read the book «unë Ramiz Alia dëshmoj për historinë», and it will be difficult The file of former prisoner of conscience K. H., who served a full 33 years in prison, says that there is occasion he played the role of «informant in the cell». Let us assume this is completely hell of communism, or the investigators, That is why the files must be opened even if they are slanderous and falsified: they are evidence of the dictatorship’s crimes. The files, or whatever remains of them, must be opened without fail, and all the criminals who wrote, slandered punishment they deserve. They must no longer dare to howl they understand this monstrous invention of their rule. The game intended to keep their victims in anxiety and torment. It is a diabolical maneuver careerist figures opening of the files.

— The President of the Republic, Mr. Sali Berisha, also attended — Yesterday morning, at 10 o’clock, a tribute was held in honor of Arben Nikoll Ujka, a police officer in the RENE special forces, who fell while fighting in the village of Mushan in the district of Shkodër. Yesterday morning, at 10 o’clock, a tribute was held in honor of Arben Nikoll Ujka, a police officer in the RENE special forces, who fell while fighting His coffin was placed in the large hall of the Ministry of Public Order’s Palace of Culture. ... [text continues, cut off] ... democracy, in the fight against criminals of every kind. The work of this group of brave men, who “represent” the RENE special forces unit, is appreciated and will be appreciated more and more. But not only their work: that of all law-enforcement forces throughout Albania. Within a ...Public Order. They had come to honor his memory: his parents, family members, friends and companions, as well as law-enforcement officers from all the country’s districts. The President of the Republic, Mr. Sali Berisha, Prime Minister Aleksandër Meksi, and the entire Council of Ministers also came to share in this great sorrow. President Berisha offered his condolences to the parents. He expressed his deep sorrow over the tragedy. Among other things, he told those present that their son was one of the most outstanding members of that group of brave young men who had taken on «the danger and dedicated themselves to democracy throughout Albania». themselves to democracy throughout Albania». The President of the Republic, Mr. Sali Berisha, presented the father with the «Order of Bravery», awarded posthumously to Arben Nikoll Ujka for bravery in the performance of his duty. Then tributes began around the coffin containing the body of the police officer killed in a confrontation with a criminal in the village of Mushan.

Yesterday morning, a serious accident occurred on the Fushë-Kosovë–Pejë railway. In the village of Pomozotin, at the point where the railway crosses the road, a train collided with a passenger bus. According to preliminary, unofficial information, 19 people are reported dead and many injured; they have been taken to the hospital in Prishtina. It is reported that workers from Kosovo’s electricity company were on the bus.

ATSH correspondent in Prishtina, Behul Jashari, reports that yesterday the Macedonian government’s ban on crossing the border between Kosovo and Macedonia using passports began to be enforced. This decision is a barrier for Albanians divided by several borders in the Balkans. Two million Albanians in Kosovo and nearly one million Albanians in the other ethnic Albanian territories in Macedonia, who have longstanding and recent family, commercial, spiritual and economic ties, are severely affected in their right to movement and to maintain relations through free circulation without administrative obstacles across their own lands, throughout Albanian-inhabited areas. The consequences will be severe, particularly for Albanians in Kosovo, because there are numerous obstacles, deliberately erected by the Serbian administration installed in Kosovo, to obtaining travel documents as well as other documents they need. It is also noted that yesterday, at the crossings at Hani i Elezit and Globocel on the border between Kosovo and Macedonia, the movement of people was much lower than before because of the introduction of the passport regime.

We learn from the spokesperson of the Ministry of Defense that on 20 August 1993, at around 10:20, during scheduled training maneuvers, Major Idriz Hoxha, a pilot with the Rinas aviation unit, suffered an air accident. According to information from the military aviation flight-control center, the aircraft went down in the coastal area of Kavajë. The Ministry of Defense, using army resources and in cooperation with NATO units stationed in the Adriatic to enforce the embargo, is searching the area to find the pilot and the aircraft. The Ministry of Defense has also set up a special commission to determine the cause and consequences of this air accident.

Pursuant to Article 28, point 7, of Law No. 7491, dated 29.04.1991, “On the Main Constitutional Provisions,” and upon the proposal of the Chairman of the Council of Ministers, I hereby decree: Article 1 Mr. Petrit Kakalula is relieved of his duties as Minister of Agriculture and Food at his own request. Article 2 Mr. Hasan Halili is appointed Minister of Agriculture and Food. Article 3 This decree shall enter into force immediately. Tirana, 20.08.1993. Decree No.: 635. PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC SALI BERISHA

In June of this year, the Directorate of Finance and Economy at the Ministry of Defence conducted an inspection of the economic and financial activities of the Export-Import Enterprise «MEICO». Having reviewed the activities of this enterprise in connection with issues raised recently by some of our press outlets, it clarifies the following: – To meet emergency needs arising from the process of reforming the Army, the Export-Import Enterprise «MEICO» contracted with the Bulgarian firm «Bolid 1990 Petrov» to purchase from it several «IFA» transport vehicles. The contract with this firm was concluded in accordance with legal provisions, after the relevant bids submitted by various economic entities at home and abroad had first been reviewed. To speed up the process of importing the vehicles, the «MEICO» Enterprise transferred part of the foreign currency from its bank account to the seller’s account, but not (Continued on page 2)

On 26 August 1993, police officer Arben Nikoll Ujka of the Unit for the Neutralization of Armed Elements was killed in a confrontation with the criminal Gëzim Sadiku, in the village of Mushan, Shkodër district. Arben Ujka was born in the village of Baks i Ri, Velipojë, Shkodër district, on 25 January 1971. After completing agricultural secondary school in his birthplace, he performed his military service in Unit 88 in Tirana, where he distinguished himself for courage, bravery, intelligence and composure. On 15.07.1992, he began working as a police officer in the RENE unit. Although he served for a very short time—only one year—in this special forces unit, Arben Ujka stood out as a highly talented young man, possessing all the moral, physical and psychological qualities: exemplary, disciplined, obedient to his superiors’ orders, and very devoted to his family and friends. He took part in all the first-class operations, distinguishing himself among the others for bravery and daring in difficult situations, facing criminals head-on. On 22 August he was not on duty, but as soon as he learned that a criminal had killed two citizens in the village of Mushan and that a search had been launched for him, he expressed a desire to go to the scene. Arben Ujka, a police officer in RENE’s special unit, was killed by automatic-gun fire in the house where the criminal had been hiding. May his memory be eternal.