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The High State Audit: Here are our results TIRANA—42 thousand people have robbed the state of 4.2 billion lek. This figure, observed over just 12 months by the High State Audit, was announced yesterday as a result of its work. Following an analysis conducted yesterday, the auditors said that they had again demanded the recovery of 2.2 billion lek. Meanwhile, the auditors said yesterday that, in addition to seeking compensation for the damage, they had imposed more than 1,000 disciplinary measures over the violations found, including “Warnings” for 655 people. The auditors said they had requested dismissal for only 167 people and demotion for another 37. Although the amount the auditors publicize as damage caused to the state is very large, the criminal complaints filed by the High State Audit number only 29. They have been accompanied by just 18 civil lawsuits. These results come from 931 inspections carried out during the past year. Among the institutions inspected were 22 ministries, including the Ministries of Economy and Privatization, Internal Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Defense, Finance, Justice, and Economic Cooperation and Trade, etc., as well as central bodies such as courts at all levels, the General Prosecutor's Office, the General Directorates of Customs, Taxes, Roads, State Reserves and Telecom, the Agrarian, Commercial and Savings Banks, INSIG, Hotel Tirana International, KESH, and many regional branches dealing with the return of property, land matters, environmental protection, etc. The inspected entities included 22 in customs and taxation; 35 in foreign financing and procurement; and 18 in joint-capital enterprises. The results published yesterday by the High State Audit are truly scandalous. Nearly one-third of the state administration was found to have been involved in corruption scandals in 1998, causing the state colossal damage of 4.2 billion lek. A World Bank survey had sounded the alarm about this situation some time ago. Now is the time for drastic change. The 166 dismissals proposed by the High State Audit are far too few to clean up this administration. Erion Braçe

30.01.1999. SHKODËR, DURRËS, ELBASAN, KORÇË, THE SOUTH Police fired upon. No casualties or material damage PAGE 2

TIRANA—Within seven months, 28 foreign investor companies have applied for guarantees from the Albanian Guarantee Agency. PAGE 4

The largest share of this fund was collected by the port police PAGE 1

ELBASAN—The scandal of last night will not pass lightly for KESH. The Prosecutor's Office has begun investigations into the protagonists...

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