Regarding the “Alia-Nano-Dokle-Ruçi-Benc” scandal Dokle remains suspect number 1 After Dokle and Xhixha, Gellçi too. The editor-in-chief of “ZP” is charged “ZP” was not only a defender but also the author of the crime At a time when they were sounding the “alarm” about financial difficulties, the managers of “ZP” were being paid salaries of up to 1,300 dollars and had more than 200,000 dollars in the bank ALBANIAN STATE BANK FOR FOREIGN RELATIONS IRREVOCABLE DOCUMENTARY CREDIT No. Tirana, 13.10.1992 Applicant ZARI I POPULLIT TIRANA BULGARIAN FOREIGN TRADE BANK SOFIA CHIPS ID 799 USD 76,500 Expiry date: 05.12.1993 Latest shipment: 25.10.1992 We open this documentary credit in your favour, available against presentation of the following documents: Commercial invoice, 3 copies Insurance policy covering all risks Quality / Analysis certificate, 3 copies Weight / Packing / Specification list, 3 copies Certificate of origin, 3 copies CMD TO ORDER ZARI I POPULLIT TIRANA Master’s declaration confirming receipt of copies of the requested documents Full set of clean on-board Bills of Lading issued to order COVERING 300 tons of newsprint paper. Deeply embroiled in the 400,000-dollar scandal are all the recent managers of “ZP”. After Dokle and Xhixha, our successors, the man who, after S. Pellumbi, receives the highest monthly salary in Tirana, Thoma Gellçi, will have to answer to justice for embezzlement and abuse of state-budget funds. According to the documents, Gellçi withdrew 76,500 dollars from the bank, which formed part of the 400,000 dollars earmarked for the printing press. The 76,500 dollars were used for shady trade, such as “Kombi”, etc. The perpetrator of such an act, Gellçi, did not hesitate to publish all kinds of slander and deception about this scandal. The newspaper “ZP”, which Gellçi headed, published statements claiming that the money for the printing press had not only not been used for other purposes, but was waiting for the democratic Government to grant permission to purchase the printing press. Meanwhile, the documents prove that Gellçi himself is one of those who signed off on spending the 250,000 dollars remaining in the bank. Anyone can understand the need for the PSSH spokesperson’s statement that the funds could not be sent to Canada… But the money was to be sent, with Gellçi’s signature and those of the three managers, to Bulgaria and elsewhere… In the facsimile that “RD” managed to obtain with the help of Gellçi’s “friends” within the “ZP” editorial board, Gellçi’s signature is clearly visible—a signature that confirms one of the deceptions and… smoke screens. “RD” has now produced several documents proving that the excuses given for not acquiring the printing press were nothing but lies, just as the statements that not a penny of the printing-press money had been touched were lies. As is known, in the wake of the payments scandal, the “ZP” managers tried in two statements to create the impression that “ZP” was in a difficult financial situation, even though the prosecutor’s inspection found and confiscated more than 200,000 dollars in the “ZP” cash office alone. Add to this the fact that the editor-in-chief of “ZP” received a salary three times higher than that of the Albanian prime minister, which, together with bonuses, amounted to 900–1,300 dollars, and it becomes clear that the “ZP” managers’ appeals for “financial help” from their readers were merely a deception, an attempt to conceal the speculation involving the 400,000 dollars. But the devil cannot be covered with a sieve. On the one hand, the documents, and on the other, the statements of the latest defendants, are proving what “RD” has written several times: the printing press never arrived because the money allocated for it was used for foreign vacations by PS leaders, profits from trade, prostitution, etc. In any case, Dokle remains suspect number 1, as the defendants’ statements also show. All the evidence and materials point to Dokle. Once again, they are CABLE ADDRESS: ALBANIAN STATE BANK TIRANA PHONE: 22154 TELEX: [illegible] COVERING 300 tons of newsprint paper. DELIVERY CIF TIRANA SPECIAL CONDITIONS: All your commissions and charges are for the beneficiary’s account REIMBURSEMENT: Partial shipments allowed / prohibited Transshipments allowed / prohibited The advising bank is requested to notify the beneficiary, adding its confirmation without delay. Albanian State Bank, Department for Foreign Relations. From the available foreign-currency fund, please open an irrevocable documentary credit[?] by telegram ALBANIAN STATE BANK FOR FOREIGN RELATIONS Branch Manager Fin[?] Date[?] Dated[?] [signatures and stamp: text partly illegible] has remained silent[?] about the special[?]... dollars with a bank transfer. Anyone can understand from sent to Canada[?]... But the money would have been sent, under the signature of Gellçi and others, confirms one of the deceptions he and his newspaper have perpetrated on public opinion. Yesterday, too, in an empty statement by the “Progresi” QBE Governing Council, “ZP” vainly tried to hide the scandal that has engulfed it from every side, using stale excuses. The leaders of “Progresi” (the SP enterprise) are trying to prove that “Progresi” is an enterprise registered in accordance with the laws in force, when nobody is accusing them of the contrary. The accusation against the leaders of “ZP” and “Progresi” is that they misused and abused the 400 thousand dollars taken from the state budget and earmarked for the “ZP” printing house. Yet the statement does not mention this fact at all, while attacks on “PD” and “RD” are not lacking. The leaders of “ZP” do know what they are accused of; but, having no arguments with which to defend themselves against the accusation, they level unrestrained[?] denunciations at the rival newspaper. ... the statements of the latest defendants confirm what “RD” has written several times: that the printing house[?] was never set up, and the money allocated for it was used for holidays abroad case, Dokle remains the number one accused, even among the other defendants. All the information and material point to Dokle. Sources inside “ZP” again point the finger at Dokle: “He was the first to sign.” Feeling themselves to be victims, the other defendants do not hesitate to accuse Dokle, who, among other things, is responsible for the disappearance of the first 150 thousand dollars. Meanwhile, the investigators are seeking the contract that has been discussed but that nobody has seen. The absence of this contract would prove that the 150 thousand dollars sent from Canada under Dokle’s signature were also used for other purposes. Here, too, Dokle was not alone in the stolen money. He was joined by others in the PS leadership. As can be seen, the facts increasingly confirm that “ZP” is not merely a defender of crime, but also an author of the crimes and scandals that have engulfed the PS leadership.

Yesterday in the People’s Assembly NDREKE GJINI After the agenda was amended to include consideration and approval of the decree of the President of the Republic, Mr. Sali Berisha, on the dissolution of the Financial Police and the establishment of the Tax Police and Customs Police, as well as the draft laws “On the Entry into Force of the Criminal Code” and “On an Amendment to the State Budget,” the People’s Assembly continued yesterday’s proceedings by considering and approving the draft law “On Certain Additions and Amendments to the Law on Social Insurance in the Republic of Albania.” Under this law, mine workers who have worked for 21 years, including 10 years and 6 months underground, are entitled to an early pension regardless of their age. The families of deceased persons who had been in employment will receive their pension even if the deceased had stopped working a year earlier, while orphans will receive 50% of their parents’ pension, up from the 25% provided under the previous law. Through these amendments, social-insurance inspectors are given greater authority to inspect contributions to the social-insurance fund. Yesterday, the People’s Assembly also (Continued on page 2)

—From the press conference of the Chairman of the General Trade Union of Teachers of Albania The role of Albania’s Independent Trade Union in bringing down the communist regime was significant, especially that of teachers. Moreover, the teacher has been and remains a democrat, she told the teachers of Albania, among other things, about improving their working conditions, raising salaries, etc. After two or three warning strikes, the education unionists and teachers managed to reach agreement with the government, Mr. Kruja went on to explain. This was certainly thanks to the union’s work and to the understanding and goodwill of the democratic government of Mr. [continued on page 2]

N.DOKLE: “The contract for purchasing the printing press was concluded with the firm ‘N.C.P.P.S Ltd’, and on this occasion the first instalment of 150,000 dollars was disbursed. The remaining amount would be used to transport and purchase some additional equipment for the printing press... After they tested it, they agreed, and we bought the printing press. I want to make it absolutely clear that the printing press has been purchased and is in Canada because it has not been collected.” “KJ”, 22 March ’95

S.Pellumbi: “...The other 250,000 dollars are in the bank at the disposal of ‘ZP’, but not one of them has touched a single cent.” “Gazeta Shqiptare”, 16 April 1995

“ZP” insists once again that the government should clear the way and, with the funds at its disposal, enable it to set up the printing house... “ZP,” April 1, 1995, from the statement by the PSSH spokesperson In his statement, the SP spokesperson asks the Government to give “ZP” permission to use the funds at its disposal (400 thousand dollars from the state budget) to buy the phantom printing house in Canada. Why does the SP spokesperson not ask for permission to spend the money on tractors, oil, trade in paper, holidays abroad, per diems, bonuses, etc.?! This is not the first time the SP spokesperson has deceived public opinion. This is a familiar experience, going back to the corruption case involving Chairman Nano, the cases involving socialist local officials in the districts, etc. MENTOR SHEHU

The Third Conference of the LDG – Fier Branch was held The Third Conference of the Fier LDG was held on Tuesday morning. Also present were the Deputy Chairman of the PDSH, Mr. Tomor Dosti; the Chairwoman of the LDGSH, Mrs. Flutura Hasko; Mr. Bujar Nepravishta; and the chairman of the Fier PD, Mr. Ferdinand Agalliu. In the report delivered by the chairwoman of the Fier LDG, Mrs. Luljeta Sinani, after an overview of the work carried out between the two conferences, particular emphasis was placed on the ongoing work that must be done with the women of the LDGSH to raise the dignity of Albanian women. Addressing the conference, the Deputy Chairman of the PDSH, Mr. Tomor Dosti, among other things stressed the need to explain matters to PD members and supporters, so that the many achievements of these three years of democracy could be highlighted. These achievements have been continually attacked by a black press that tries at all costs to deny them[?]. “The democratic women’s organization,” he said in his speech, “must be vibrant and dynamic. Only in this way will it affirm the value of Albanian women’s work. We must understand this reality with goodwill so that we can achieve the objectives we have set ourselves.” “We are conscious and proud,” Mr. Dosti said in his speech, “to stand before the electorate for what we have achieved and what we will [Continued on page 2]

The Group of 24 once again for Albania The destroyers of Albania Sabiti of cholera—the cholera of the PS

New developments in the “Dokle, Alia, Ruçi, Benc” scandal “A mysterious escape” All the evidence points to Namik Dokle.