The PD cliques emerge over the apartment mortgages AGREEMENT/ The pact between the Tirana municipality and two ministries is downgraded Clash in the parliamentary committee. The local government sends back the draft law prepared by the Ministry of Public Works for the legalization of 400 apartment blocks. Basha’s campaign promise, made when he accused Edi Rama, falls apart

The Parliamentary Commission on Productive Activities yesterday sent back a draft law prepared by the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, which envisaged legal changes to make it possible to mortgage unfinished apartment blocks whose investor can no longer be found The Parliamentary Commission on Productive Activities in Parliament yesterday sent back a draft law prepared by the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, which envisaged legal changes to make it possible to mortgage unfinished apartment blocks whose investor can no longer be found ■■■ TIRANA GENC KONDI The mortgaging of illegal apartment blocks in the capital is heading toward failure. Yesterday a draft amendment to Law No. 8402 “On the control and discipline of construction works” was presented for discussion. The measure, in the form of a draft law and already approved at a meeting of the Council of Ministers, concerns opening the way for the mortgaging of several hundred apartment blocks, which was one of the main promises of the mayor of the capital, Lulzim Basha, during his campaign in May this year. According to the ministry’s legal director, Iglon Peçi, the draft law aims to provide a final solution for all those buildings whose investor cannot be found or whose company has gone bankrupt and therefore cannot be mortgaged. Its amendment would open the way to the legalization of these buildings, 400 of which have been identified in Tirana... continues on page 7 In the photo: The Minister of Public Works and Transport, Sokol Olldashi, the mayor of Tirana, Lulzim Basha, and the Minister of Justice, Eduard Halimi, signing the mortgage agreement

Interview Page 5 Sali Berisha: For Ndrea Prendi, Ina Rama was right

BLOG/Periphery BY ALBA MALLTEZI When Chief Prosecutor Ina Rama appeared before the media to make public the investigation that led to the request for the arrest of the head of the Republican Guard for the direct killing of an Albanian citizen, a doubt came to me: Has the prosecution submitted to the Tirana Court all possible evidence so as not to leave room for alibis for those accused of murder and of the blatant concealment of evidence? Today in the newspaper Shekulli, journalists Flamur Vezaj and Lindita Çela uncover a testimony by the Guard’s armaments chief, Mark Ndoji, who says that Beretta pistol no. P52796Z, which belonged to Ndrea Prendi, the head of the Guard accused of killing citizen Faik Myrtaj with this pistol, had been left out of the file submitted to the Tirana Court. The latter hastily took advantage of it to grant “house arrest” to the persons accused not only of murder, but also of concealment and blatant manipulation of evidence. So, after a year of investigation, the prosecution has the luxury of leaving out important testimony, sparking debate and quarrel across the entire public opinion over whether “the pistol that killed Myrtaj was Ndrea Prendi’s or not.” When we talk about accountability, about a sense of state and justice, we must think that every component of society should do its work well and honestly. The media, despite the extreme difficulties of survival, has managed to bring truths to light. The same commitment and professionalism is required from the just and honest part of the justice system: even a hair can change the course of the truth, let alone a testimony. Are there other facts left out of the January 21 file by the prosecutors in the case? According to the journalists, the prosecution will complete the file at the Court of Appeal. ...even a hair can change the course of the truth, let alone a testimony...

■■■ TIRANA BY MIRA KAZHANI Kreshnik Spahiu for years has been one of the few people who belong to the justice profession, but unlike everyone else who have kept their distance from the media, he has chosen to... continues on page 9

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LUNCH.COM The deputy head of the High Council of Justice: I know they will dismiss me, the hall looked like Enver’s meetings

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