The political prosecution fails in its accusations against former senior officials ON PAGE 2

It was licensed after classes had already begun ON PAGE 5

Tense situation on the northeastern border ON PAGE 4

Koçi has “forgotten” that these are the officials who created this criminal society two years ago, when they placed themselves at the head of the gangs and celebrated the killing of SHIK officers. Back then they called the criminals “an angry people.” By EDI PALOKA The horror in Berat yesterday was compounded by the scandalous statements of Interior Minister Petro Koçi. Asked by TV Klan several hours after the event, Koçi, concerned only about his chair, declared that the fault lay not with law and order, but with society. According to him, in a society that produces criminals like these, law enforcement can do nothing. Koçi directly accused Albanians as a people who “like” criminals. “This is how others will be killed too,” he said. “Seven, twelve, seventeen may be killed in Albania.” All these words were spoken on TV Klan’s news program at 19:30, and they prompted the news presenter, horrified, to address the minister and ask him to broadcast positive messages rather than messages like these. But Koçi did not stop there. He made more or less the same statements to the press, making it clear that the only thing worrying him was losing his position. “...our society is made up of yesterday’s people, the morality of citizens... I hope, in any case, that it will not go mad and call this a great punishment, but an opportunity to justify the ‘pact for law and order’”—this is what Interior Minister Petro Koçi said to several daily newspapers. For these statements alone, without even taking the other facts into account, Koçi should resign immediately. How can an Interior Minister say that law and order cannot be established because this people supposedly likes criminals and the authorities can do nothing? And, moreover, how can a man like Petro Koçi make such an accusation? Two years ago, when criminals in Vlora attacked and killed several SHIK officers, there was a celebration at the Socialist Party headquarters. While these officers—some of them were monsters—were having their blood drunk like vampires, the head of the SP spoke of “an angry people.” It was these same leaders, now in power, who, while Vlora was burning and people were being killed, called them an example of people who would not surrender their weapons. They were the ones who effectively put themselves at the head of the gangs and took power. They persistently echoed the message of the criminals who had plunged their hands into the blood of the guards in Cërrik. They took the bandits and even gave them positions after taking power. Koçi was one of them. He was precisely the one who put himself at the head of those who burned the institutions in Fier. Today this same Petro Koçi accuses Albanians of liking criminals. He accuses society of liking crime, “forgetting” that they created this society. These very officials created it from the moment they entered this society. The criminals who saw Petro Koçi in his moment of elation as they drank Leka Çoku’s blood certainly did not have the police there to protect him. Koçi knows very well, as all Albanians do, that this people has lived in this country for much longer; despite years of bloodshed, Albania was among the most stable countries. Only 1992 was a year of more serious problems, problems that arose from the scale of their enemies; afterward, until 1997, when the communists once again unleashed the rebellion, law and order was not among the problems facing Albanians. Clearly, he tries to justify this by pointing to the lack of weapons, but that remains only an excuse. Honest citizens do not become criminals even if they have a depot full of weapons at home. Some developed countries in the world allow their citizens to carry weapons, but they do not become criminals. Weapons are used only by criminals, and criminals manage to find them and use them when they need them; they are not short of them. The communists in ’91 had not opened the depots, but the criminals... [text corrupted] The SHIK officers in Vlora were killed before the depots had been opened, but ... a real arsenal of weapons of every kind was unleashed against the SHIK officers. So it is neither the fault of the Albanians, nor their “liking” for criminals, nor the fault of weapons in Albanians’ hands. The problem lies with the criminals, and there are two ways to deal with them. If criminals are fought by democratic governments, then there are no criminals; but if those in power do not fight them... But if you take them and turn them into your own soldiers in order to take power, if you praise them when they commit crimes or call them [text corrupted] and, moreover, decide easily to [text corrupted] people with [text corrupted] ...

Berat bids farewell with tears and anger to the victims of Thursday’s massacre. Relatives of those killed hurl accusations ON PAGE 2 Maksim Hasani is thrown out of the funeral ceremony. The killers had strong ties to the Enverist MP. According to police director Hasan Hametaj, the bandits’ families refused to bury their bodies.

PD accuses the government and the Minister of Public Order over the grave situation in the country “Only political change can save the country from the despair of maintaining law and order and the daily terror inflicted on the people” ON PAGE 3

Yesterday, the funeral ceremony for the three police officers REUTERS

Condolence telegram from Berisha to the families of Maksim Tahiri, Flamur Aliu, Arben Elmazi and Gentian Salca, their relatives and friends, and all the citizens of Berat The cruel murder of your beloved and innocent people has deeply shocked and immensely saddened me, my family, the Democratic Party, and, I am convinced, all Albanians. Today we are all in mourning and grief, and we share with you the profound pain caused by this heinous crime. Your loved ones, who lost their lives entirely innocent while confronting one of the many organized-crime gangs in Albania, call on us today to unite to stop the crime that is taking the lives of innocent people every day, and to save Berat and Albania from this history of crime. On this day of pain, sorrow and mourning, the Democratic Party stands by you. We pray together with you for the souls of your loved ones and hope that you will find all the strength needed to bear the pain of their untimely loss. Hereby I express to you, the families, relatives and friends of Maksim Tahiri, Flamur Aliu, Arben and Gentian, my deepest condolences, those of my family and of the Democratic Party, and we pray with you that the souls of your loved ones may rest in eternal peace. Berisha offers condolences to the families of the slain police officers Baftjar Gramshi, Rushan Toska and Lumner Hasabelliu, their relatives and friends, and all police personnel in Albania Forever honoring Baftjar, Rushan and Lumner The deaths yesterday, while carrying out their duty, of Baftjar, Rushan and Lumner have deeply saddened me, the Democratic Party and all Albanians. With this cruel act, organized crime has struck not only your families but every family in Albania. Today you have lost your dearest loved ones, and nothing can compensate for this irreplaceable loss or ease the great pain. But I want to assure you that the sacrifice and deeds of Baftjar, Rushan and Lumner, and of all those who sacrifice themselves for the security of life, property and public order in Albania, will always be honored. Offering the Democratic Party’s most sincere condolences to the families, relatives and friends of Baftjar, Rushan and Lumner, I bow with great respect before their deeds, and we pray together with you that their souls may rest in everlasting peace.

Italian government and opposition in agreement on political developments in Albania Antonio Martino, chairman of Forza Italia’s parliamentary group and former Italian Foreign Minister, described Albania in an interview with the newspaper as a country in which Italy has interests ... ON PAGE 3

Today President Meidani speaks out on September 14 Six months later, September 14 is still on the agenda of the special prosecutor’s office, Justice Minister Thimjo Kondi and the entire left-wing coalition in power. The General Prosecutor’s Office and the giant Minister, Thimjo Kondi, are not giving up on September 14, even after... ON PAGE 2

PD chairman Berisha addresses Democratic women “Together we will change Albania’s direction.” This is what PD chairman Berisha said yesterday as he greeted Democratic women on their celebration. Albania is going through extraordinary difficulties: the country is gripped by a crisis that kills one or several innocent Albanians every day, a crisis that every day leaves dozens more Albanians without the means to live and without hope... ON PAGE 4

Gjushi’s man, lawyer for the persecutors of communism Nafiz Bezhani came out against the genocide law yesterday. At a press conference he declared that this law serves no purpose and ... ON PAGE 3

Trade union alliance formed against government corruption in the oil sector The oil sector cannot be restructured under the project the government has begun implementing, because this will be the end of the oil industry, which has already put 4,000 oil workers out on the streets. ON PAGE 5

Today marks 176 days since the murder of the December Leader Every passing day since the murder of Azem Hajdari, the symbol of democracy and pluralism, proves the involvement of Fatos Nano’s government and of dozens of its associates in the crime that shook the entire Albanian world. The government of the former communists, which leaves free and unpunished the criminals who took the life of the December Leader, shows Albanians that it was and remains on the side of the murderers, who have names and identities but are not touched by those in power. Democrats and all Albanians who loved and honored Azem Hajdari cannot tolerate this fact under any circumstances. The government must either catch the criminals and bring them to justice, or publicly declare that it itself committed the murder of Azem Hajdari.