SCANDAL / The leader and secret decisions empty the company’s deposits in Alimuçaj’s accounts at second-tier banks Malaj is looting VEFA Serious accusations against the Malaj couple. VEFA demands the unfreezing of its bank accounts and the return of the stolen millions. Noise on the BBC over Alimuçaj’s accusations Albania, in strikes and protests The dissatisfaction of Albanians around Nano. Fatos Nano’s Socialist government is trying by every means to obstruct VEFA’s financial activities, something that is linked to the current prime minister’s personal dislike of VEFA president Vehbi Alimuçaj. On the one hand, the government is keeping more than one and a half million USD blocked, money belonging to a private company deposited in the pyramid scheme “Gjallica.” The government’s unmotivated action appears aimed not only at harming VEFA, but also at freezing the money of hundreds of thousands of the firm’s depositors, money that would be returned to them after bankruptcy proceedings were completed. The current prime minister’s disregard for the interests of hundreds of thousands of citizens led yesterday morning to the start of a strike by former female employees of VEFA and to warnings of a general strike. According to well-informed sources close to VEFA, the situation between Prime Minister Fatos Nano and VEFA president Vehbi Alimuçaj became tense after the latter’s interview given to “Voice of America,” in which he accused the Socialist government of blocking deposits hidden in the Bank of Albania. The sources in question say that after this interview Nano called the Minister of Finance, Arben Malaj, by phone, and then the Governor of the Bank of Albania, Shkëlqim Cani, to block the banking activity of the VEFA group until further notice. At the same time, accompanied by other people and the Director of the Tirana Police, Kosta Goga, Malaj was standing in front of Alimuçaj’s offices, demanding the documentation for this group’s banking activity. This dual role of minister and police inspector on Malaj’s part shows that the Minister of Finance’s standing in government has fallen considerably, since he is seeking to solve with police a problem that should be handled through administrative channels. According to finance and legal specialists, the case of the Minister of Finance intervening in the banking activities of a private group has never before been seen in our country. Indeed, well-known figures in the field say that Malaj’s actions are illegal because they lack a court decision ordering the freezing of VEFA’s bank accounts. What was observed at least in yesterday’s strike by former female VEFA employees was that Nano’s government is seeking to create a dangerous precedent for the economic life of our country. Such a thing would of course have suited the former communist regime, for which the issue of private activity never mattered for anything other than fighting against it. If Albanians are used to such behavior from Socialist governments, this takes on even greater significance if we consider that in the nine months since then, Albania has not had a single similar case under the rule of right-wing forces. The capital’s protesters on the eighteenth day Titana will bring down the government of deception The 18th day of the hunger strike was marked by a large number of citizens arriving from across the capital. Outraged by the stance of the left-wing parliamentary majority against the legitimate demand of the former owners, they joined yesterday’s protest, giving this strike more momentum. Together, angered by the absurd stance of the Socialist government, these protesters said that continuing the hunger strike is the only path that will lead to the overthrow of the government of deception. Such statements were also made yesterday by representatives of other political entities, who have intermittently joined the protesters in the area in front of Parliament. Those present declared before the deputies that “Three quarters of Albania consider Nano’s government unfit to govern.” Outraged by the worsening poverty and misery, some of the protesters chanted slogans against the government and the prime minister. These included labels for Nano such as “thief,” “communist,” “Saddam,” “insatiable beast,” etc. This was the 18th day of the hunger strike held in front of Parliament, which is becoming increasingly problematic not only for these strikers, but also for Nano’s government. For its part, the latter is doing everything possible to keep the strike quiet, as it did with the strike of former military personnel, but it seems forced to abandon this failed method, given the fact that this strike is now becoming more and more troubling. The protest “We want our money” is obstructed Police seize the University Square in Tirana It was the first time in 12 days of strike that the square in front of Parliament did not echo with the cries “We want our money.” This time they were not asking for the money lost in investments in NC, but for back wages and compensation for 16 months without work. The VEFA people were supposed to appear in front of the Prime Minister’s Office at 11 o’clock, but the capital’s police, ordered by the government, had occupied the square in front of the University with large forces and a police cordon. Furious at this behavior, the crowd headed toward “Skanderbeg” Square, but the capital’s police sent numerous police forces ahead of them. Thus, a clash with the crowd of protesters was also avoided, and the government won the “battle” with VEFA’s employees for one day. Accompanied by their husbands, the protesting women were stopped by police near the square in front of the museum and were made part of an improvised gathering where police had blocked them. They remained there until some of their spokespeople held a conversation with the Director of the Tirana Police, Kosta Goga. According to them, Goga assured the protesters that the government would no longer obstruct their protests, but yesterday this was impossible because a film was to be shot in the square in front of the University. They asked what the film was about and whether that had been the purpose, but since they received no answer, they held their protest in the square in front of the museum, strongly demanding the unfreezing of the accounts. ON PAGE 5

Titana will bring down the government of deception

Creditors demand that the documentation be found The creditors of the company “Ganos,” dissatisfied with the government’s response to their memorandum addressed to it, also joined the protest by former VEFA employees in the square in front of the museum, where they waited for incidents related to the VEFA protest to occur. These citizens, who call themselves creditors, are not satisfied with the work done so far by the company’s liquidators, who claim they are encountering difficulties in finding the documentation of “Ganos,” which has gone missing. Because the documentation is missing, they are asking that those who fail to hand it over be held accountable. In a memorial sent to the government, but signed by the losers of “Ganos,” it is said that the government is leaving these creditors in oblivion, while the Polish side has decided to take from the Albanians and the local population to take from the Albanians and the locals [?] of the wall of the Albanians and locals [?] of the wall of the Albanians [?]. ON PAGE 5

Albania, in strikes and protests