Meta meets the U.S. Undersecretary for Defense Policy, Slokomb says Senior U.S. officials will visit Albania very soon PAGE 2

TOMORROW IN “ZËRI” Tomorrow in “Zëri i Popullit,” new documents proving Minister Zef Preçi’s guilt. In one of the documents, the minister himself admits that the companies he licensed do not meet the legal requirements New documents proving Minister Zef Preçi’s guilt are revealed Trading permits

TIRANA—Zef Preçi, former Minister of Public Economy and Privatization, appeared yesterday at a press conference where he tried to dismiss the findings of an inspection by a Council of Ministers internal audit group, as well as a host of documents published in the press. The minister said yesterday that the accusation was political and that he was not involved in corruption affairs. Meanwhile, “Zëri” publishes today a series of new documents that further reinforce the accusation and refute all of Minister Zef Preçi’s statements from yesterday. Thus, if yesterday the min-

Nano meets Prime Minister D’Alema in Rome The General Secretary of the Italian PDS, Walter Veltroni, will visit Albania soon. This was confirmed late tonight at a meeting that the Chairman of the Socialist Party of Albania, Fatos Nano, held with Veltroni and Italian Prime Minister Massimo D’Alema. During the conversation, the Italian prime minister showed particular interest in his Albanian counterpart Ilir Meta, and Nano assured him that everything was going well. The two Italian leaders and Nano discussed bilateral relations between Italy and Albania, the situation in the region, and the joint initiatives that should be undertaken and carried out within the framework of the Stability Pact. Both sides agreed that the two party leaders, Nano and Veltroni, as well as the two prime ministers, D’Alema and Meta, would coordinate their actions in order to work together for Albania’s fastest possible integration. It was also agreed that the party organizations in the two capitals would establish closer ties with one another in order to pursue more intensive joint activity. (Press Office of the SP)

Trading permit. No. 2, dated 22/11/1999. Pursuant to Law No. 8450, dated 24.02.1999, “On the processing, transport and trading of Oil, Gas and their by-products”. Granted to the Joint-Stock Company “KASTPETROL”, headquartered in: Shkozët, Durrës. This is a Type “A” permit for categories “I”(a); “III”(a). Valid for a period of 10 years. Facsimile of the original permit granted to the company “Kastpetrol” on 22 November 1999. The minister claims that this permit is dated 23 November 1999. GENERAL DIRECTORATE OF HYDROCARBONS Tirana 23.11.1999 Assessment of the contents of the applications for obtaining a Type “A” trading permit by the company “KASTPETROL” sh.a. Based on the documentation submitted by the company “KASTPETROL” sh.a. and on the verification carried out by the Department of this Directorate responsible for this matter, it appears that this company meets all the conditions required under Council of Ministers Decision No. 129 dated 18.3.1999, for the provision of the minimum storage-tank capacity required by the CMD ... and for recording the minimum storage-tank capacity for this entity, as it has submitted to this Ministry an application to lease tanks guaranteed by the State Reserves. Upon obtaining these tanks, the storage capacity will meet the requirements of the Council of Ministers decision cited above. If the improvements we have proposed to CMD No. 129 dated 18.3.1999 are also taken into consideration in relation to this possibility, this company may be issued a trading permit. Director Sami DJIMA TIRANA—Former minister Zef Preçi said yesterday that he had signed the fuel-trading permit for the company “KASTPETROL” after it had fulfilled all the legal requirements. The minister said he had signed the permit on 22 November 1999 and that, on that date, everything was in accordance with the law. But the truth is different. The license is dated 22 November 1999. However, if we are to believe the former minister, on 23 November the legal requirements were still not fulfilled. On 23 November 1999, the director of Hydrocarbons at the ministry sent the minister a letter stating that “This company meets all the conditions required under CMD No.129 dated 18.03.1999, with the exception of the minimum storage-tank capacity ...”. So everything is clear: on the date the minister claims to have signed the license, the requirements had not been met. PAGE 16

Meanwhile, “Zëri” publishes today a series of new documents that further substantiate the accusation and the responsibility behind all of Minister Zef Preçi’s statements yesterday. further substantiate the accusation and the responsibility behind all of Minister Zef Preçi’s statements yesterday. Thus, if yesterday Minister Preçi said that the fuel-trading permits for the two companies, “KOMETA” and “KASTPETROL”, had been signed by him only after the legal requirements were met, the documents prove the opposite. Yesterday the minister said that the date 17 November 1999 written on “KOMETA”’s license and the date 22 November written on “KASTPETROL”’s license were a technical error. The minister was forced to say this because, on those dates when the permits were signed, the legal requirements had not been fulfilled. The signing of the license is the final act, which takes place after all procedures have been completed. Everything is proved by facsimiles of the original licenses. “Zëri” will publish further documents tomorrow that prove serious violations in this matter by Minister Zef Preçi. In one of them, he states in writing that a number of companies that received final licenses had not met the legal requirements. (PS Press Office)

“Zëri” poll: 68% of voters support the prime minister’s fight against corruption PAGE 3

Creditors are waiting for Farudin Arapi’s lists The appointees’ newcomers are wrecking the schools Belgrade is weighing down the barrier at Hani i Hotit

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The scandal over oil licenses granted by Minister Zef Preçi deepens