The governor: If they stop, we collapse. Builders: Lie The Embassy cable on the Governor’s denunciation of construction firms The central banker’s concern in 2006: Dirty money used in construction is at alarming levels The Money Laundering Department report for 2010: Cases have increased, here is how the procedure works The news The U.S. Embassy in Tirana notes, in a cable sent to Washington on April 7, 2006, the link between the construction sector in Albania and the money of organized crime. This was revealed by “Shqiptarja.com” among hundreds of thousands of messages made public by Wikileaks In the photo: Governor Ardian Fullani (right) Facsimile of cable no. 06TIRANA358, dated April 7, 2006, titled “Governor of the Albanian central bank: Money laundering in construction” TIRANA Genc Kondi This is not a finding by the American diplomats themselves, but a statement by the Albanian official in the highest state position, responsible for overseeing the situation in the financial sector in the country. On April 7, 2006, the chargé d’affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Tirana, Steven Zate, sent a cable to the State Department and the Treasury Department in Washington, through which the finding of the Governor of the Bank of Albania, Ardian Fullani, regarding the involvement of construction business in Albania in laundering dirty money, is highlighted. According to the American diplomat, the governor is the first high-ranking Albanian official to state something that many analysts have been saying for years: the Albanian construction industry, which was experiencing a real “boom” in those years, was partly supported by dirty money. In his annual report on the activity of the Bank of Albania, which he presented, as every year, before the parliamentary Economy-Finance committee, Fullani, on the one hand, had pointed to the high and steady pace of economic growth in that period (5.5% in 2005), low inflation (3 percent) and the reduction in the budget deficit figures at the time, as signs of positive developments... In the photo: Governor Ardian Fullani (right) Facsimile of cable no. 06TIRANA358, dated April 7, 2006, titled “Governor of the Albanian central bank: Money laundering in construction”

Analysis By Ilir Kulla Berisha’s visit and Israel The Prime Minister of Albania, as he is entering the seventh year of his rule, has finally made a visit to Israel. In terms of importance, this can be called the most successful visit so far in the two years of Mr. Berisha’s second term. This visit also takes on a historical character because the last Prime Minister to have made an official visit to Israel was Fatos Nano during his 97-98 term. Presidents Topi and Moisiu have visited the Jewish state, but on other occasions and not on official state visits. This visit comes after a rather long hesitation between Albania and Israel in their relations, recalling here the lack of responses more than once to the relevant invitations to officially visit this state by former Foreign Minister Meta and former head of Tirana municipality Ram. From this point of view, the visit can be called successful and a high performance, also considering the high level of reception that was given to the Albanian Prime Minister. * * * However, the visit presents some sides of the coin and issues. Beyond the fact that we tell the world and ourselves that we saved the Jews in the Second World War and that for this we won a pavilion in the Yad Vashem Museum, our relations need to be less folkloric and emotional, but pragmatic and tangible. The concrete areas of cooperation need to be clearly specified and the results of this close cooperation made an accomplished fact, with a name and the forms of a... The only mutual problems we have are the question of Palestine and Israel’s recognition of Kosovo. Continues on page 13

INTERVIEW Issam Massalha: Your Prime Minister refused to visit Palestine Arben Rrozhani The ambassador of the Palestinian Authority in Tirana, Issam Massalha, expressed great concern yesterday over Prime Minister Berisha’s statement in Israel that the demand for a Palestinian state sabotages the peace process. In an interview with “Shqiptarja.com”, the ambassador said he hoped Berisha’s statement had been misquoted by the media, also expressing concern because he refused the invitation made 4 months earlier to visit Palestine... On page 4

Page 7 The Konomi family: The state is not solving the murder, but it is not giving us the property either Page 13

Page 12 The doctor without surgical gauze, patients buy gauze by the meter Page 11

Page 6 The January 21 commission is postponed by 1 year, it never meets Page 5

Comments on the dissidents BY Admirina Peçi Pages 14-15

TRAGEDY In the house of mourning. Father: We will wait for the word of justice Besmira Muçaj Everything is sad and dark in the house of Brunilda Pinderi. A day after the 27-year-old passed away, in the Pinderi home, on the second floor of a five-story building near Bajram Curri school on “Niko Pinderi” street, her family members are there, the mother and father, as well as the sister. They have agreed to speak to “Shqiptarja.com”, telling the story of how it happened. The doors of the house are open, people come and comfort the family members of... On page 9