After declaring at the DP National Council that the EU had given Albania 800 million dollars in free aid: The sensational statement that Albania had received 800 million dollars in free aid from the European Union alone over the last 5 [?] years, not counting hundreds of millions more received through bilateral programs from Italy, Germany, Austria, Great Britain, France, the Netherlands, etc., came from Sali Berisha at the DP National Council. This raises the question: where did these millions of dollars given as aid to the Albanian people go? In an effort to explain matters to the new coalition government that came to power after the plebiscitary elections of 29 June, Sali Berisha, speaking at the National Council of the Democratic Party, publicly admitted that Albania had received 800 million dollars in free aid from the European Union alone. Very well, but where did this money go? And what about the other millions in aid that, according to Berisha, came to Albania through bilateral agreements—where did they end up? We are talking about more than 1 billion dollars, which the people never received. So who stole it? Berisha or his people? Or all of them together? And if we add to these millions the hundreds of millions more stolen through pyramid schemes, it is easy to imagine what has been done to this country. Therefore, taking Berisha’s statement as a starting point, the government and all the specialized agencies must immediately begin work to establish where this money ended up. And to achieve this goal, there can be no better witness than Berisha. Otherwise, it turns out that Albania’s last communist president was active in his party’s national council, which he will undoubtedly help and promote day by day, leading it resolutely toward complete destruction. In any case, whatever the outcome, Berisha will emerge either as a thief or the leader of thieves; in other words, either a criminal or the leader of criminals.

The intended target was the liquidation of socialist leader Fatos Nano Despite repeated orders, the pilots refused to take off because they had learned that innocent people were being killed. Leonard Demi, currently Secretary of the DP, also knew everything about it. To avoid carrying out the orders of the criminals in power, pilots Arian Elezi and Agron Daci fled to Italy in the aircraft. Contrary to what was stated in the official communiqué, according to which they had taken off for a training exercise, the “UT-MIG” aircraft had on board one 12.7 mm machine gun and one 28 mm aircraft cannon with 80 rounds. (Page 3) Minister of Defense Sabit Brokaj restores the rank of “Reserve Officer” to 30 former senior military officers, who had absurdly been stripped of it in 1992 by Safet Zhulali, Bashkim Kopliku and Bashkim Gazidede Page 4 Pilots Arian Elezi and Agron Daci after arriving in Brindisi, 4 March 1997 (Photo: ROJTER)

Korçë: Crime dealt a blow Panic among the gangs; citizens regain hope that calm will be restored Page 8 Where did the “Gjallica” money go? 40 thousand dollars to the newspaper “Albania” The person who received it: Enver Bytyçi Page 6

The editorial office of the newspaper “ZËRI I POPULLIT”, as part of its complete restructuring, is seeking to hire 10 young journalists. All interested applicants should come to the editorial office to register and take part in the selection competition, which will be held from 10:00 to 12 [?], from 8 August to 15 August. CANDIDATES MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA: 1. They must have completed, or be nearing completion of, higher education in journalism, philosophy-sociology, or departments of the Faculty of Philology, Law and Economics. This criterion does not restrict the right of graduates from other faculties to apply. 2. Candidates who know at least one foreign language are preferred. 3. They must have computer skills. 4. They must be no older than 28. THE EDITORIAL OFFICE

(Continued on page 2) Pages 2 THE EDITORIAL OFFICE