The Ngjela Commission report, an apologia for the crimes of Albania’s former communists. The opposition rejects the results of “Makari” The Union for Democracy has complete documents on those who planned, organized and carried out these acts. Some of them are now ministers, parliamentary leaders or even their bodyguards. We will propose that all the uniformed young men who were killed last year, during the communist rebellion and during these past months by the government’s gangs, be declared martyrs. ON PAGE 3

Thousands of protesters in the anti-communist city warn the government: Stop the revenge campaign and poverty, or we will radicalize the protests Wage increases must match the real inflation figures. The political purge in the administration must stop. Taxes must be lowered and people must not be fired from their jobs. ON PAGE 2

After the deception about the meetings in the USA A president who deceives his own citizens even about a private visit—one can imagine how irresponsible he is in carrying out his duties toward citizens in other specific matters assigned to him by law and the Constitution. President Meidani must resign after deceiving Albanians about his visit to the USA and his imaginary meetings. For five consecutive days, state television, through Fiqiri Sejdia, lied about the President’s private visit to the USA and the meetings held with President Clinton, Vice President Al Gore and Secretary of State Albright. The President’s official spokesperson reinforced this public deception in Tirana at a press conference, this time officially deceiving Albanians on behalf of the President. The American Embassy and the State Department, following the President’s press conference, contradicted him and clarified the truth about Meidani’s meetings in the USA to the public. In a strained rebuttal, the Albanian Presidency went beyond all expectations, declaring that “Meidani’s meeting with President Clinton was confidential.” The Presidency thus committed another blunder, this time a diplomatic one, by making public a confidential meeting, which is called confidential precisely so that it will not be made public. Meidani’s deception of Albanians about his private visit to the USA is reason enough for the President to a private visit—one can understand how responsible Constitution. Meidani had no reason to lie about his private visit to the USA, because nobody, apart from Figiri Sejdisë in this country and abroad, would have asked why he did not meet Clinton, Al Gore and Albright. Everyone who knows what the National Prayer Breakfast in the USA is has at least enough common sense not to dwell on courtesies such as the US President shaking hands with the leaders of the country. All the more so because Albanians have far more important reasons to care about whether Meidani shook Clinton’s hand in the USA, or whether he met privately and what business he conducted in his own interests. They face his problems. They face them every day and would have greater interest in the President’s actions, positions and commitments. Unfortunately, the President not only shows not even the minimum willingness to address these problems, but also publicly lies about his private visit. That is why he must resign—indeed, the sooner the better. Because when he lies even about a private visit, it is easy to understand what he might do about other serious matters.

The mystery surrounding the attack on the judge’s home is solved Names of the assailants and the foreign license plate of the SHIK car revealed The mystery surrounding the attack on the judge’s home is solved Nano’s men raided Bendo’s home Names of the assailants and the foreign license plate of the SHIK car revealed Reliable sources yesterday released the names of the perpetrators and details of the car used by those who raided the home of the well-known judge Agim Bendo. An anonymous caller, for reasons that are easy to guess, contacted the central studio of Kontakt radio during a live program, saying that the people implicated in the crime were close associates of Prime Minister Nano. The caller said that the young man who entered Bendo’s home was 21–22 years old and was named The witness also gave over the phone considerable detail about the car used by the perpetrators of the attack on Judge Bendo, who a year earlier had presided over the trial that sentenced Fatos Nano to prison for stealing humanitarian aid and abusing his official position. The source said the gray car was a Mercedes-Benz 320 SE, with a German license plate from Karlsruhe. Continuing his testimony, he revealed that the car also had a broken triangular window

The lawyer warns the Socialists: I may speak publicly The lawyer can tell Albanians what the contribution of the opposition of that time was to the destruction and burning they inflicted on the country. He can tell them about the role of the so-called “southern committees” in the rebellion. He can also reveal the names of the rebellion’s real leaders. Judge Bendo yesterday in front of reporters Photo: A. FUSHIA The lawyer can tell Albanians what the contribution of the opposition of that time was to the destruction and burning they inflicted on the country. He can tell them about the role of the so-called “southern committees” in the rebellion. He can also reveal the names of the rebellion’s real leaders Judge Bendo yesterday in front of reporters. Photo: A. FUSHIA

Former President Berisha calls for those responsible for the criminal act against Judge Bendo to be found The midday search of Judge Bendo’s home and the beating of his mother constitute a heinous act of violence, with extremely suspicious and unacceptable motives. Judge Bendo is one of the country’s most competent, serious, and dedicated judges. The search of his home by unknown persons, their leaving valuables untouched while meticulously searching every corner of the house and its contents, the cases previously tried by Mr. Bendo, and in particular his trial of the Italian aid case in 1991, give rise to the strong and deeply disturbing suspicion that political aims and particular interests lie behind this unprecedented act in Albania’s history since the fall of the dictatorship. Furthermore, alongside the series of political attacks against the judicial system, the dismissal of Chief Appeals Court Judge Martini, who sentenced the former Albanian prime minister, the unscrupulous attacks in the press against the President of the Court of Cassation, and accusations that Constitutional Court judges are foreign agents, all lead one to believe that the attack and search of Judge Bendo’s home are another element of this platform, which seeks to destroy the independence of justice in Albania and place it under political control. Strongly condemning this despicable act, former President Berisha calls on the Government to identify and immediately find those responsible and refer them to the justice authorities. He calls on the current prime minister to end the primitive vendetta against the judicial system that convicted him in accordance with all European standards, as numerous distinguished European experts who examined his case file have affirmed, and to ask Parliament for the amnesty to which he is entitled.

The deputy prime minister’s bodyguard is appointed police chief in the coastal city Durrës police chief dismissed Deputy Prime Minister Bashkim Fino yesterday appointed his bodyguard Hasan Rama as director of the Durrës police. With this latest move, the chairman of the Anti-Smuggling Commission appears to have taken a decisive step toward gaining full control of illegal trafficking. Rama is known as Fino’s escort before and during last March’s unrest, and was described as the most loyal man of the former prime minister of the National Party government. In the compliant press and by the Albanian opposition, Fino has repeatedly been accused of being the head of cigarette smuggling and illegal trafficking. The appointment of the Albanian deputy prime minister’s driver as director of the Durrës police deeply implicates Fino and the other government officials in illegal trafficking. The Port of Durrës is known as one of the places most affected by illegal trafficking, and putting Fino’s escort in charge of controlling these operations means giving government officials full control over smuggling. According to former Durrës police chief Hasanbelliu, recently there have been disagreements between him and some government officials over the disappearance of considerable quantities of goods. V. ELBASANI

The day before yesterday morning, several police officers guarding the Italo-Albanian Bank insulted a citizen who was reading the newspaper “Rilindja Demokratike”. The police officer, who said his name was Pellumb Sina, told the citizen that he was not allowed to read the newspaper “RD” in the area he was guarding and drove him away! Several other citizens who were there on business or happened to be passing in front of the Italo-Albanian Bank were astonished by such conduct from the officer, who insisted that the RD newspaper should not be read, or that the citizen should read it at home. The opposition’s portrayal of the press as a forbidden phenomenon brings to mind Hoxha’s time, when books and documents that ran counter to the party line were not allowed to be read. All the more so because these ideas are being displayed by Neritan Ceka’s “depoliticized” police. As if a series of pressures involving phone calls, threats, the withholding of state information from the courts, and shootings and injuries inflicted on RD journalists were not enough, the opposition press is now under police assault to prevent it from being read in public and perhaps even from being shown legally. Before dealing with citizens who read the RD newspaper, Ceka’s police would do well to deal with the criminals and gangs holding the country hostage. Before going after journalists for the articles published in RD, Ceka’s police would do better to pursue criminals, not journalists! It is expected that, after this brave act of serving the country by insulting citizens who read RD, the officer will be promoted and given greater responsibilities by Ceka. RD

Today, 14.02.1998, at 11:00, a working meeting will be held at the central headquarters of the DP of Albania, bringing together the chairpersons, deputy chairpersons, secretaries and public-relations secretaries of the DP branches in the districts with the Chairman of the Democratic Party, Sali Berisha. Attendance is mandatory.

Nafiz Bezhani, recruited as a spy by Mago Lakrori’s father, continues to serve ON PAGE 2 Nafiz Bezhani, recruited as a spy by Mago Lakrori’s father, continues to serve Gjinushi uses the Sigurimi against Justice ON PAGE 2