Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA), 97-02-22

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From: The Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA) Home Page at <http://www.telpress.it/ata>

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

CONTENTS

[01] AGREEMENT FOR GERMAN AID ACCORDED TO ALBANIAN POLICE SIGNED

[02] PENAL CASE OF FORMER ALBANIAN PRESIDENT ALIA IN APPEAL COURT

[03] PRESIDENT RUGOVA WARNS NEWS ELECTION IN KOSOVA

[04] KURSI- NEW YORK- DOLLARI PERSERI NE NGJITJE

[05] MORE THAN 550 "VEFA" CREDITORS HAVE TAKEN MONEY CAPITALS - Tirane

[06] ALBANIAN INTERIOR MINISTER VISITS POLICE ACADEMY OF BAVARIA

[07] 20 WITNESSES ADMIT IN COURT GUILTINESS FOR THOSE WHO SET FIRES IN FIER

[08] GREEK NATIONAL COLLEGE OF DEFENCE TO VISIT ALBANIA

[09] ADMIRERS OF DICTATOR HOXHA IN GERMANY PROTEST FOR THE FAILURE OF PYRAMID SCHEMES IN ALBANIA

[10] ALBANIA'S PRESIDENT WILL VISIT ATHENS

[11] TIRANA COURT STARTS TRIAL FOR MANAGERS OF GJALLICA FIRM

[12] STUDENTS HUNGER STRIKE IN VLORE CONTINUES

[13] ALBANIAN VIOLINIST TEDI PAPAVRAMI GIVES PERFORMANCE IN SALONIKA

[14] KUCOVE INHABITANT INJURED AFTER QUARREL

[15] LEADERS OF FORUM FOR DEMOCRACY AMIDST PROTESTORS IN VLORE

[01] AGREEMENT FOR GERMAN AID ACCORDED TO ALBANIAN POLICE SIGNED

The agreement was signed during a meeting in the Presidency of the Border Defence, in Munich. /kei/pas/mt/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[02] PENAL CASE OF FORMER ALBANIAN PRESIDENT ALIA IN APPEAL COURT

Claiming that "the jury had adopted a biased stand in refuting the requests of the defence party", Kleanthi Koci, attorney of Ramiz Alia, demanded the relinquishment of all the jury which judged in the Tirana Court the above mentioned people.

Martin Deda, head of the jury and deputy chairman of the Tirana Court, interrupted the trial and the defensive party request was sent for estimation in the Court of Appeal.

Ramiz Alia, 72, Hekuran Isai, 64, Simon Stefani, 68, Qeman Lame and Gramoz Ruci are accused of genocide and crimes against humanity, in cooperation. They have been indicted by the Forum of the Independent Intellectuals.

Lame, former chairman of the Attorney General Office and Ruci, former Interior Minister, were judged in absentia.

Alia has been arrested for the first time in 1992 and sentenced with 9 years in prison in July 1994 for abuse of office and funds. He was released in 1995 favoured by an amnesty and arrested again in February 2, 1996, under charges for genocide and crimes against humanity.

One of the episodes where the prosecutor's office has based its charge for the 5 accused is the killing of 58 people who tried to pass the border from 1990 until March 22, 1992.

Although after an amendment of law in 1990, the fleeting form the country was not considered any longer as "treachery to the homeland", but simply "illegal passing of the border", the people who tried to pass it were killed and their bodies were massacred and exposed to terrorize the people in many border villages. /kei/pas/mt/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[03] PRESIDENT RUGOVA WARNS NEWS ELECTION IN KOSOVA

Asked whether he would put his candidature for the post of president, Rugova answered that we would inform on this later on.

Rugova hailed the initiative of the Christian democratic parliamentary group of the Italian Parliament to interrupt the violence in Kosova, as well as their request for a greater engagement of the Italian diplomacy in the Kosova issue. /b.j/p.ta/pas/mt/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[04] KURSI- NEW YORK- DOLLARI PERSERI NE NGJITJE

DOLLARI U KUOTUA :

1,6895 kundrejt markes 0,6188 " sterlines 123,25 " yenit 1,4740 " frangez zvicerane 5,7040 " franges franceze 1.670 " liretes

/ A.GJ/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[05] MORE THAN 550 "VEFA" CREDITORS HAVE TAKEN MONEY CAPITALS - Tirane

Vefa began to repay the capital money to the creditors who have invested from 100 000 - 500 000 lek or up to $5 000 for those whose deposits are in dollars on February 20. 15 creditors took only the returns, thus continuing relations with Vefa.

With the rhythms of these days, it is expected that within 3 weeks more than 80 % of the creditors will take the money capitals according to the above mentioned amounts.

The spokesman refutes the announcement given by BBC radio that no operations in the credit office of Vefa Holding company in Tirana were conducted to repay the money capitals to the creditors.

No operations to refund the capitals to the creditors will be conducted on February 22 and 23, because the banks are off. /s.sh/pas/mt/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[06] ALBANIAN INTERIOR MINISTER VISITS POLICE ACADEMY OF BAVARIA

Shamata thanked in the meeting the leaders of the Academy for the help given to Albania, in the teaching aspect as well as in the material one.

The leaders of this Academy expressed the readiness to deepen and enlarge the cooperation with the Police Academy of Albania on the whole. /kei/mt/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[07] 20 WITNESSES ADMIT IN COURT GUILTINESS FOR THOSE WHO SET FIRES IN FIER

About 20 witnesses, interrogated today, admitted that the four defendants Gezim Kastrati, Julian Calamani, Gramoz Nazizi and Pellumb Dervishi (the latter tried in absentia) have organized the torching and destructions in the town of Fier.

Many photos and video cassettes prove the four defendants have led the crowd which set fire to the town hall and some other state institutions in Fier. kei/xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[08] GREEK NATIONAL COLLEGE OF DEFENCE TO VISIT ALBANIA

The members of the Greek College of Defence met with the Commander of the Albanian Defence Academy, brigade general Ali Koceku.

They focused on the experience gained in training the civil and military staff in the courses of the Military College of Defence, as well as on opening soon of the third course of the Albanian Defence College.

The representatives of the Defence Ministry and the General Staff familiarized the students of the Greek military College with the aspects of the Albanian foreign and defence policy. /pas/mt/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[09] ADMIRERS OF DICTATOR HOXHA IN GERMANY PROTEST FOR THE FAILURE OF PYRAMID SCHEMES IN ALBANIA

The organizers and speakers of the miniprotest are the Germans Michael Schmidt - Nekke and Peter Platzman, former chairmen of the Germany-Albania Friendship Association, which has functioned in 70s-80s. The main mission of that association has been to distribute and propagate the works of Enver Hoxha in Germany.

Some members of this Association have also been participants of the ODHIR monitoring group in the last year's May 26 elections and are accused by other monitors of fraud.

A report about the organization of the miniprotest was published three days ago by newspaper Albania.

Michael Schmidt-Nekke, in a program on the (Austrian) ORF program, four days after the toppling of the monument of the dictator, had declared: "The toppling of the monument of Enver Hoxha by citizens of Tirana is a great loss for the Albanian people." ssh/xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[10] ALBANIA'S PRESIDENT WILL VISIT ATHENS

"I am convinced," writes the Greek President in his letter, "that your visit will further consolidate the friendship and cooperation between Greece and Albania to the benefit of our two peoples and the stability and cooperation in the region."

President Berisha conveyed to President Stefanopuollos his thanks for the invitation and assured the Greek Ambassador that he was expecting with a special interest his first visit to the friendly country. He added that he was convinced that the visit would contribute not only to the friendship and cooperation between Albania and Greece, but also to all the region. ssh/xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[11] TIRANA COURT STARTS TRIAL FOR MANAGERS OF GJALLICA FIRM

De jure, beginning with yesterday, all the managers of the failed loan- taking firm Gjallica, are in jail, whereas de facto, the two main ones, the couple Kadria, have fled Albania.

With the request for the arrest for couple Kadria, the number of defendants for Gjallica amounts 22. Ten of them are in prison arrest, two in prison arrest in absentia, four in house arrest and six have to appear to judicial police once a week.

The deficit of the company is around 363 million dollars, mainly the savings of about 20 000 Vlora emigrants in Greece and Italy and money from the selling of about 2000 houses and many other assets in the districts of Vlore, Fier and Kukes.

Attorney General Office has ready the demand for the sequestration of all the mobile and immobile assets of Gjallica. During the coming week, the Tirana Court is expected to put the seal of bailiff's office on all the objects of the company.

Gani and Shemsie Kadria are supposed to have fled Albania at the beginning of 1997 by a Turkish Airlines flight. Some sources say that the couple Kadria left Albania before 1997, and that they are living illegally in a suburb quarter of Izmir.

On Jan 24, 1997, the Vlora district court decided the beginning of the procedure of bankruptcy for the trade company Gjallica, ltd, on the basis of an indictment to this court by one of the creditors of Gjallica. Consequently, the section of trade disagreement valuation of the court, on January 24, 1997, took a provisional measure to secure all the mobile and immobile assets throughout the territory of the Republic of Albania and the blocking of the financial accounts documents and every other document proving the ownership of the trade company Gjallica. xh/

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[12] STUDENTS HUNGER STRIKE IN VLORE CONTINUES

Sources inside the strike report that the health condition of the strikers has been generally good, except for one student, who during the last night had a temperature 37.5 degrees and some other health troubles.

The doctors will decide today what will be done with him.

Also on Friday one of the students left the strike and was replaced by another student.

One of the members of the strike commission, Altin Nervaj, appreciated the performance of the district police commissariat around the university building. The police, with the exception of some special case, have avoided incidents.

On Saturday before noon, the Vlore protesters stayed for more than an hour in front of the University building, where the students have gone on strike. s.sh/kei/lm/k

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[13] ALBANIAN VIOLINIST TEDI PAPAVRAMI GIVES PERFORMANCE IN SALONIKA

The concert was performed in the context of the activities carried out in the Greek city of Salonika on the occasion of its declaration as Capital of Europe for 1997.

The concert of the Albanian violinist was part of the Albanian formal participation in these activities.

Albania's activities in Salonika were opened by the outstanding writer Ismail Kadare, who was considered a myth for all the literature admirers in this city and all over Greece.

The visits of Ismail Kadare and Tedi Papavrami marked a special event in the life of the Albanian emigrants in Salonica, among whom there are many distinguished intellectuals of Albania, according to the Albanian embassy to Greece. a.ke/kei/lm/k

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[14] KUCOVE INHABITANT INJURED AFTER QUARREL

Gezim Turhani, aged 36, from Kucove, Southern Albania, was injured after a quarrel, which is thought to be linked with the the abduction of women to sent them to Italy for prostitution.

Turhani, according to as police source, was stabbed by 17 year old, who is now identified, but not yet caught.

According to an eyewitness the boy stabbed Turhani.

Turhani, after a surgery in the Berati hospital, is out of danger, sources in this hospital told ATA on Friday. kei/lm/k

Albanian Telegraphic Agency

[15] LEADERS OF FORUM FOR DEMOCRACY AMIDST PROTESTORS IN VLORE

Representatives of the Forum for Democracy Daut Gumeni, Skender Gjinushi and Paskal Milo also joined the protestors at the square in front of the technological university "Ismail Qemali".

In their speeches Gumeni and Gjinushi repeated the demand for the government resignation, for a technocrat government, which will have the consensus of all the political forces and fresh elections.

Milo has described the 20th century the century of the Vlore city.

"War started in Vlore and there should it end," said Milo.

The three leaders did not offer in their speeches any economic solution to come out of the grave situation created after the failure of the pyramid schemes.

Meanwhile, the mass of protestors left the square in front of the university building, in which a number of students have gone on strike, and headed towards the Independence square chanting: "We want our money", "Down with the government" and other slogans. a.ke/kei/lm/k

From the Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA) Home Page at http://www.telpress.it/ata

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