Trafficking with the consul’s car in Prague Former ambassador explains: This is how it was uncovered The program “Fiks-Fare” reveals the trafficking from 2004 to 2010. How the Czech authorities reacted The story The car of the Albanian embassy in Prague was used for six years to traffic drugs by a citizen from Kosovo. According to the complaint of the head of the Czech anti-drug unit, the consul’s car benefited from diplomatic status to move around without checks TIRANA ARBEN ROZHANI The car of the Albanian embassy in the Czech Republic served to traffic drugs, taking advantage of the immunity enjoyed by vehicles with “CD” plates. The scandal published by the program “Fiks Fare” on TCH brings the next portrait of the serious abuses committed in Albania’s diplomatic missions abroad. The news had become public three months earlier, when in September 2011 the online newspapers parlamentnilisty.cz wrote that a Kosovo citizen, Agim Saraçi, arrested for drug trafficking, had used the Albanian embassy car for 6 years to carry out criminal activity. The newspaper mentioned the name of the consul Katerina Xhelo, who according to it allowed the use of the car, which cannot be checked by the local police because it has diplomatic immunity. “Fiks Fare” interviewed Jakub Fridrich, the director of the Czech national anti-drug center, who confirmed the facts published in the newspaper. “Agim Saraçi used the Albanian embassy car from 2004 until 2010, when he was arrested for drug trafficking. Formally he had written permission from the embassy, but he did not have a diplomatic passport,” Fridrich said. He further stated that the Czech Foreign Ministry confirmed that the person under investigation had cooperated with the Albanian embassy. “A person who does not have diplomatic immunity cannot use the car of the... continues on page 7

Project for 2012 Page 10 Basha unveils the budget, PS: You stole the square BY ESMERALDA KETA

Editorial BY BRIZIDA GJIKONDI Once again in the trap, Mr. Rama It has been a while since I wrote, but there are times when compromises with oneself are undone when the rash actions of a political leader lead to the demoralization of every idealist who lives on this earth. About 3 months ago, following the exhausting political games that the parties have long been waging against each other, one of the constitutional institutions of the fragile Albanian state was also thrown in as bait, the Ombudsman. When the Albanian Prime Minister offers some of his own opposition to Rama in relation to this institution, I had the inner conviction that Mr. Rama or the legal advisers around him would guide him not to fall into this highly multidimensional trap for him and his reputation as a future statesman. After this offer, Rama’s party leaders came out and considered the offer ridiculous (the first blunder) and considered the Ombudsman to be a cart that they in the PS, meaning the Socialist Party, would not swallow. After a period of silence, as not infrequently in the strange opposition camp, the pompous rise began of the purely party committee for the selection of the candidate for Ombudsman. Once again the courage of a politician, the statesman’s intuition and the constitutional vision of the opposition leader faltered, he went like a goat to the butcher in the lair of the strongest. Once again he was given the handkerchief that had been put in his hand by the one who has always dangled it before him. But this is not what most worried me and made me sit down to write this time, because this has to do entirely with Mr. Rama’s performance of the... continues on page 7 Where on earth is the last ad hoc procedure he invented written down, why is he experimenting, with whom, and under what circumstances?!

BIRTHDAY - 75TH ANNIVERSARY The socialist professor on his 75th birthday: We need dialogue, we must all be together JAKIN MARENA The socialist professor Pëllumbi, on the 75th anniversary of his birth, received as a gift a perfect celebration organized by the PS and a bouquet of flowers from chairman Rama. He asked for more dialogue within the PS and commented on Nano’s declaration of his candidacy for President... continues on page 4

Pages 2-3 The government, secret auction of treasury bills for another 10 million euros for the debt Page 5 Rama to PS leaders: I want a “revolution” at the grassroots in 2012

SHKB: Police officers’ accidents a special investigation group is being set up Page 8 The letter that threatened Stojan: Next time I’ll light the fuse! Page 9 SHKB: Police officers’ accidents a special investigation group is being set up

The ambassador’s interest BY ANILA BASHA Berisha’s illness, Sequi: It has happened to me too Page 6

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