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Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA), 97-10-17Albanian Telegraphic Agency Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA) Home Page at <http://www.telpress.it/ata>Albanian Telegraphic AgencyCONTENTS
[01] CONFERENCE OF PARLIAMENTS SPEAKERS OF SOUTHEASTERN EUROPEAN COUNTRIES ENDEDTIRANA, OCT. 17 (ATA) - The conference of the parliaments speakers of the Southeastern European countries ended Thursday in Athens, with a working plan, made up of 12 points.Based on this plan, the parliaments of the Southeastern European countries are engaged to give their aid for the intensification of multilateral exchanges, respect of sovereignty and territorial integrity of respective countries, invulnerability of borders, non use of violence for the solution of conflicts, non interference in internal affairs of one another and respecting human rights in all fields. In the joint statement, the parliament speakers, present in the meeting, considered the development of democracy and consolidation of democratic institutions as the best way for the solution of problems and protection of peace and stability in the region. The final statement defined as further aim the creation of a Consultative Assembly of Southeastern European countries, on which work should start at the level of experts. During the days of the conference, the Albanian Parliament Speaker, Skender Gjinushi, held bilateral talks with his counterparts of Greece, Macedonia, Bulgaria and Moldavia. In these meetings, Gjinushi underlined the predisposition of the new Albanian political orientation to strengthen bilateral and multilateral exchanges and to lay these relations on secure foundations of respecting international principles, defining as the aim of Albanian policy the solution and not the exaggeration of the existing problems. /s.sh/pas/mt/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[02] MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE OF ROME STARTS PROCEEDINGSTIRANA, OCT. 17 (ATA) - By Eva Allushi: The Conference of Foreign Ministers on Albania started its proceedings on Friday at 9:00 in Rome.The conference aims at coordinating the aid of different countries for the restoration of the Albanian economy, after the recent crisis that swept the country. Meanwhile, the newly started reforms of the government, which emerged from the June 29 polls, have been considered by the West as very positive and necessary to create guarantees for the attraction of foreign investments in Albania. Attending the Conference of Rome are Foreign Ministers of Italy, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, etc. Present will also be former Austrian chancellor Vranitzky, the President of European Union Council, Jacques Poos, the executive Director of IMF, Camdesy, and other senior personalities of European countries. Attending the proceedings of the Conference will be an American delegation, headed by the congressman, Eliot Engel. The Republican leader, Sabri Godo, takes part in the Albanian delegation as representative of the opposition. The leader of the Democratic Party, Sali Berisha, decided not to participate in the Conference, despite the invitation of Nano government. Albania's Foreign Minister Paskal Milo considered the Rome Conference as political approval for the Donors' Conference, to be held on October 22 in Brussels. A news conference is expected to be held today at 14:00. /pas/mt/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[03] THREE DAYS OF ALBANIAN HONEYMOON By Arban HasaniTIRANE, 16 OCT. (ATA) - An invitation of the Council of Ministers to DP leader Sali Berisha last Monday's evening shook from the foundations the 7 year institution of the Albanian relations between the ruling parties and those in opposition. The invitation made in the chancellery of Prime Minister Fatos Nano, was addressed to the present leader of the Albanian opposition, Sali Berisha, inviting him to take part in the delegation for the Rome Meeting on October 17, 1997. The unprecedented case has first shocked the opposition but also a part of the ruling parties, of those political formations which, at least in the past 5 years when Berisha was in power, had received no signal of rapprochement with the government. For three days the entire Albanian policy wriggled on this bed of rapprochement, with the opposition fearing between an eventual trick on the part of the new government towards the opposition, and a potential possibility offered to it to restore a political credibility.Until before conditions were imposed, there were numerous analysis and politicians who believed that warm winds were also blowing in the Albanian pluralist climate. Nonetheless, this honeymoon in mid Autumn lasted only three days. In a tense meeting between the State Minister K Islami and the DP Secretary General G Pollo, the climate of distance, of the strife and hypocrisy have again stationed in the starting trench the fighting wings of the Albanian policy. The wings, which have rarely in the past 7 years had common points, can be hardly believed to ever have any in the future. DECEMBER 1990 - JUNE 1991 - WHEN OPPOSITION AND THE GOVERNMENT MADE CONCESSIONS Political changes at the end of 1990 created, besides new notions in the aged communist policy, also acceptable names as opposition and position (ruling parties.) In face of a party in its historic end as the PLA was, the first Albanian opposition worked mainly for a broader space in the social and political life, towards a gradual imposition for a new and democratic state power. In this context, the atrophic communist power was forced to accept new rules of a game, unknown to it. After successive occupation of squares and creation of emancipated concepts among Albanians, the opposition did immediately demand from the state power optimal conditions for it to be imposed. The opposition threatened with the boycott of the elections planned for the beginning of February 1991, thus managing to postpone them for March. It insisted in the observation of the human rights and despite great pressure, it could improve many components. It lost the March 31, 1991 elections for lack of knowledge and for pressure, but it did not launch the idea that the elections would be held when the opposition itself was ready for them. The relations between the ruling parties and those in opposition which were more than aggressive, were product of a fixed idea, especially in the countries with a fragile democracy: the state power should be attacked with the aim of winning it. Although it fought and criticized, insisted or gained points towards the state power, the opposition managed to sign only a joint declaration with it in that period: the interruption of mass strikes for several months. In fact, from the end of January to May, time when the agreement was in force, there were scores of protests against or in favour of the state power. The first step was made in the reverse and not towards a rapprochement of the political groupings. JUNE 1991-MARCH 1992: GOVERNMENT OF STABILITY REPLACED BY A TECHNOCRAT GOVERNMENT A formulae presented by one of the centre politicians forced the parties in ruling position and those in opposition at the beginning of June 1991, to create the first Albanian cabinet with the participation of all political forces of the country. After rallies and strikes by working people and students, after fierce debates in the first pluralist parliament, the state power was obliged to accept the formulae of the coexistence with its opponents. The ruling parties and the opposition, exactly the members of the cabinet of the socialist Bufi, took for the first time on their shoulders the challenge of leading, without political inclinations, the Albanian government. A great number of analysts described the results of that cabinet as surprising, with the defect that the headquarters of the main Albanian parties did not think and act as it was thought and acted in the offices of the Council of Ministers. What the government of the coalition managed to ensure first was a total opening to the West and European institutions, and an immediate assistance for the critical situation the Albanian economy was passing. But a short news conference of the then DP chairman, Berisha, on December 3, 1991, would suffice to put an end to the spring that started for the Albanian policy in June. Tension, mutual attacks, lack of will for dialogue between parties made Albania that until the election day, March 22, 1991, have a technocrat government, unable to realise a normal stability and nobody could realise that the ruling parties and the opposition, both those who were in the lead and those hoping to come to power, would ever cooperate in the future. 1992-1997: WHEN THE STATE WAS TAKING CARE OF THE STATE POWER The imprisonment of the two prime ministers of the period 1991-1992, the ban of the opposition to demonstrate, the detention and arrest of the reporters who opposed the state power, and above all, the jailing for four years of the leader of the Albanian opposition are an accusation for the state power, that emerged from the March 22, 1992 elections, not only for widening its distance from the opposition but also for a violent behaviour towards it. In the last five years, the state tried to be in service of the state power, as a political instrument. The opposition in that period, shivering from the cold winds of the policy, was more than powerless to act in its favour. To speak of relations between the ruling and opposition parties one has to recall only two or three 'show' like round tables, where the ex- president invited representatives and not leaders of the opposition, visits to remote countries like China, in which the delegation also consisted of deputies from the opposition and this lasted until May 26, 1996, when the opposition members were barbarously beaten in the main square of the Albanian capital as if to show for the last time that the ruling parties and those in opposition did not mean the same for the state. After 9 months, when the state did not exist since it had disintegrated overnight, the ruling and opposition parties decided to extend their hands for another state power, perhaps for those institutions which were left half way at the beginning of December 1991. 1997: RECONCILIATION, NEW ELECTIONS AND CLIMATE When on March 9, 1997, ten political parties declared on TV they were reconciled, the Albanians, surprised by the stressing noise of Kallashnikovs, smiled in disbelief. Perhaps they were right later when they noted that only few points of that agreement were realised, when the new elections were being undermined with each passing day, when parties threatened for boycott or revenge. Nevertheless, when the mandate of the Government of National Reconciliation terminated in June this year, it became clear that the agreement had helped breathing in a powder-filled air. After this year's elections at the end of June, besides possible rotation, the comportment of the new power with the old power were also in balance. The agreement of Sant Egidio for the control over a part of the institutions by the opposition was debated later, the parliament became sometimes a bloody arena of political strife and the advocates of political forces appeared again in the squares of Albania. With about 400 000 weapons in the hands of people, with nearly 400 million dollars lost in the pyramid investment schemes and as much money hoped to be received from the Donors' Conference, only the reaction of the state power, a struggle between the ruling parties and the opposition launched in 1992-1997 was expected. And this carried on until October 13, when the chancellery of Nano extended an invitation to the opposition leader to join the government delegation in the trip for Rome. Despite the response from Berisha or the fact whether the ruling parties and the opposition will be together or not in Rome, the short honeymoon sufficed Albania to be slightly released from the grip of a long winter of strife, and to set defenitely free from this restraint, perhaps some other invitations, with or without flight tickets, will be needed.... XH/ Albanian Telegraphic Agency[04] CONFERENCE MARKS THE START OF NEW PHASE FOR ALBANIA - Dini - Positive estimation for the work of Albanian government -ROME, OCT. 17 (ATA) - By Ilenja Mehilli: The Italian Foreign Minsiter, Lamberto Dini, considered the International Conference of Rome on Albania, which started its proceedings on Friday in the Palace of Farnezine in Rome, as the beginning of a new phase for Albania."This Conference marks the start of a new phase where priority will be given to economic reconstruction as a condition for durable and sustainable growth and where social problems, which have imposed themselves as a real emergency, may find appropriate solutions," Minister Dini said in the opening address of the conference. All the delegations, which had confirmed their participation, attended the conference. Along with Albania's PM Fatos Nano, Italian Foreign Minister Dini and OSCE special envoy Vranitzky, participating in the proceedings of the conference is also the rotating President of the European Union, Jacques Poos, the European Commissioner, Ema Bonino, and the Executive Director of IMF, Michel Camdesy. Dini expressed the delight for the fact that the Albanian delegation was also made up of opposition members, and said it proves that the national reconciliation process is on the right way and the government and the opposition are cooperating. Minister Dini said that the conference will attentively examine the programs of international financial institutions and European Union, which are expected to assist in Albania's economic restoration. "We positively estimate the willingness of the Albanian government to further move on this road. The recent measures taken by the Albanian government in the fiscal field and the readiness of Albania to start negotiations with IMF as soon as possible to carry out an economic medium- term program, are the steps made in the right direction. "The emergency phase in Albania is coming to an end. The multinational protection force left Albania two months ago and the Albanian government has made the first steps towards the improvement of the situation. On basis of these developments, we confirm that we will positively participate in the Donors' Conference of Brussels in October 22, which we expect to be completely successful," stressed Dini, as organizer of the Rome meeting. Dini voiced the support of Italy, which will continue to assist Albania, both in the European and bilateral level. "We have presented programs in many sectors, like in justice, education, social affairs, fiscal affairs, health, ecology, and the last but not the least, strengthening of public order in Albania. We are always partners of Albania, by coordinating our activity with all international organisations, " added Dini. Dini stressed that anyhow, the economic and financial developments cannot remain isolated from further consolidation of democracy in Albania: the role of law and the rehabilitation of the juridical system, increase of standards of living, culture, education, defence and health, the efficacity of public administration, restoration of the police and defence forces towards a modern level, which are elements that will complete the global conditions for a long-term growth and stability in the country." The Conference carries on its proceedings in the headquarters of the Foreign Ministry in Rome. A news conference is expected to be held at 15:30 on its final results. /pas/mt/. Albanian Telegraphic Agency[05] CONTRABAND CIGARETTES INTERCEPTEDSHKODER, OCT.17 (ATA)- By M. Malaj, Special forces of the Interior Ministry intercepted a large amount of contraband cigarettes in the Velipoje village, 30 km from the Shkoder city, late last night.A ship had unloaded the contraband goods near the Velipoje shores, but, after announcements, the police forces rushed to the area, seized a large amount of goods and detained two Yugoslav citizens, thought to have been linked with the cigarette contraband. Velipoje, since the beginning of the March riots, has been turned into a basis of cigarette smuggling and illegal passage of people towards Italian shores. Therefore, for more than four days the road axes Shkoder-Velipoje and Velipoje-Hani i Hotit have been put under the control of the special forces. kei/lm/k Albanian Telegraphic Agency[06] DP LEADER ORGANISES INCIDENT - party leaderTIRANA, OCT 17 (ATA) - Idajet Beqiri, head of the National Unity party (PUK), who was beaten recently by the bodyguards of the Democratic party (DP) Sali Berisha, accused him (Berisha) for political crime.He accused the DP leader as the only organiser of the incident, which happened on Wednesday in the PUK headquarters. "This is a clear manifestation of a crime organised with his bodyguards as the executors", Beqiri said. The PUK expressed its deep indignation against this typical act for the anti-Albanian policy followed by Berisha and some extremists, who suit his politics. "We are not and will never be an extreme party," Beqiri told a news conference on Friday. The PUK leader called on the positive core of the DP to distance itself from the crime. He also called on all the political, social, intellectual and progressive forces, all the Albanian people and the present power, which resulted from the free elections of June 1997, to favour a rule of law because in such a way one can avoid a repetition of a tragedy, which claimed as more victims as a world war cannot cause. vç/kei/ak/k Albanian Telegraphic Agency[07] DP REFORMERS WANT DP LEADERSHIP BE DECLARED ILLEGALTIRANE, OCT.17 (ATA)- By A. Simoni, Movement for Democratic Party's Reformation will ask from the court to declare the current leadership of DP illegal, one of the leaders of the Movement said Friday.Former deputy Arben Mece, at the head of a group of democrats, asked from the Justice Ministry and Political Figures' Scrutiny Commission a few days ago to examine the DP leadership figures. The chief commissioner, Bezhani, responded yesterday that the request should be launched from the DP leadership itself. Mece said that the chairman of the Commission had reacted to the reformers' demand to scrutinize the figures of the DP as he requested from it (the leadership) the generalities to procede. "The refusal by Sali Berisha and the DP leadership to present the generalities, finally proves the thesis that the DP leadership has in its fold former agents of Sigurimi and Eastern secret services", Mece said. The Movements is discussing the legal step to address the court with the aim to bring to light the presence of former Sigurimi collaborators in the DP leadership, to declare them expelled from the DP, based on article 6 of the statute. Mece said that so far there are over 2500 DP members who have signed "The Call for reformation" and will conduct activities in several cities of the country. s.sh/kei/lm/k Albanian Telegraphic Agency[08] INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY PRAISES NATIONAL RECONCILIATION IN ALBANIATIRANA, OCT 17 (ATA) - By Ilenja Mehilli: The international community appreciated the steps Albania has undertaken towards the national reconciliation, Franz Vranitzky, former Austrian Chancellor and special envoy for Albania told on Friday the Rome Conference underway in Rome.He said "the international assistance should be closely linked with the national reconciliation, democratic normalisation, domestic security and social, economic rehabilitation of Albania." "International assistance for Albania is based on three main pillars: good governing, democratisation and respect of human rights and establishment of democratic institutions, reconstruction and revival of economy and restoration of domestic public order," Vranitzky said reading a report of the working group for Albania. Vranitzki said that the OSCE needs a permanent forum to closely follow the development of events in Albania and exchange views with representatives of the donor countries. kei/ak/k Albanian Telegraphic Agency[09] DEFENCE EXPERTS RISK FACING TRIALTIRANA, OCT 17 (ATA) - By Manjola Hodo: The experts who are defending the Populli Foundation risk facing trial for insulting the penal jury if they are not present in the next trial against president of this foundation and his collaborators, presiding judge Arjan Balliu said on Friday.The trial against the president of the Populli Foundation, Bashkim Driza and his managers was adjourned due to the absence of eight experts of the defence. "120 experts of the prosecutor's office worked on the documentation of the foundation for some months, thus our experts need more than a month, " Agim Tirana, the lawyer of Driza, said. This foundation has started borrowing money on April 1996. The Tirana court issued an order on February 1997 blocking the foundation's operations. Bashkim Driza, Nuri Driza and Adem Cepele are accused of theft and cheating while Ardian Nako and Ramiz Hoxha of theft and abuse of power with the aim of profit. kei/ak/k Albanian Telegraphic Agency[10] NANO GOVERNMENT FOLLOWS THE RIGHT PATH - Kofi AnnanROME, OCT. 17 (ATA)- By I. Mehilli, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan says in a message addressed to the Foreign Ministers' conference in Rome, devoted to Albania, on Friday that the Nano government is following the right path."Albania has concentrated its efforts on restoring law and order as well as on rebuilding the economic and financial sectors. In a brief time the government has made important steps ahead," Catherine Bertini, executive director of the U.N.'s food aid agency, the World Food Programme, said in a speech on behalf of Annan. However, Annan says that the political situation in Albania remains unstable and insecure and only 45,000 of an estimated 600,000 weapons had been collected until September 30, after six weeks of amnesty. "Cooperation of the population was minimal and Albania remains in this way the country with more armed citizens in Europe," Annan says further on. "International aid will continue to be released and it will make up the fundamental elements of the country's reconstruction. This is conditioned by the results achieved in Albania on the road of national reconciliation, reforms and general rehabilitation in the country," Annan says. s.sh/kei/lm/k Albanian Telegraphic Agency[11] UNIDENTIFIED PERSONS BLOW UP THREE TELEPHONE POLESDELVINE, OCT 17 (ATA) - By Sh. Hajno: Unidentified persons blew up on Thursday night three concrete telephone poles of the national line near Kardhikaq, Delvine, South of Albania."So far, 12 telephone poles have been damaged by explosion," regional director of Telecom Dilaver Beqiri said to ATA. The explosive devices have been used to blow up telephones since the beginning of unrest and it aimed at using the iron for concrete construction. Regional police sources, which confirmed the report, said that those who have damaged the poles are inhabitants of the surrounding areas. In the recent months, some two thousand telephone poles have been damaged in the telephone line of Saranda-Skerfice-Ura Kardhiqit causing line cut-off. ssh/kei/ak/k Albanian Telegraphic Agency[12]ROME, OCT. 17 (ATA)-By Ilenja Mehilli, The Rome Conference decided on Friday to provide Albania with $12 million emergency aid."In the next six months, also considering Albania's developments over these months, Albania will also be granted another aid worth $100 million," Italian Foreign Minister Lamberto Dini said, reading the final communique of the International conference on Albania at a news briefing. The news conference was attended by Italian Foreign Minister lamberto Dini, Albanian Prime Minister Fatos Nano, special OSCE envoy, Franz Vranitzky, EU Current President and Foreign Minister of Luxemburg Jaques Poos, EU commissioner Emma Bonino and Deputy President of the World Bank for Europe and Central Africa Johannes Linn. Dini did not see unrealisable the request of the Albanian Prime Minister for $100 per capita. He stressed that a series of projects will be implemented over the next six months by various international donors in favour of Albania. "Italy, alone, plans to realise 20 such projects in defence, education, health and other fields," he said. Dini also made clear that dependent on the developments in Albania during the next six months, another three-year aid project is planned for Albania. He underlined that these figures are not yet final as "we are looking forward to other aid from donor countries in the upcoming Brussels' Conference". Dini explained that the distribution of aid accorded by the Conference will be carried out under the control of the International Monetary Fund. kei/lm/k Albanian Telegraphic Agency[13] PRESS REVIEWTIRANA, OCT. 17 (ATA) - "The Donor's Meeting in Rome is in the focus of today's press."Albania in Rome: Guaranteed success," reports Zeri i Popullit on the first page. On the second page, regarding the Rome meeting, the paper reports "Democratic Party loses chance," as well as "OSCE concerned about the negative stand of Berisha." The paper publishes a press release of the government's spokesman regarding the non participation of Berisha in Rome, under the title "The government respects the right of anyone to participate or no in international activities for the future of Albania. On the third page the paper carries a statement of the Republican leader regarding this issue. "Rome gives Nano a cool reception," Rilindja Demokratike reports. "The presence of the Albanian government members in the Rome Conference starts by fraud," reports the paper. The paper covers the meeting of Premier Nano with Monsignor Palian of the San Egidio Order, under the title "Nano, you cheated for the agreement." Quoting the news agency REUTERS, the paper reports that OSCE has declared: the process of reconciliation and reforms in Albania cannot be successful without the participation of the Democratic Party. Republika paper carries its editorial regarding the Rome Conference entitled: "The government to be tested in Rome today," with the subtitle "Brussels, an imaginary island." On the fourth page, the paper reports "Nano speaks of success, but not of financing," and "Rome wants to reconcile the Albanians." "Nano to the world: I want $1.6 million" the newspaper Koha Jone says. In its third page, the paper reports "Challenge starts after Brussels" with the subtitle "Major problems: Guarantee for fair administration of international aid." It carries another article entitled "Rome is Nano's Mecca." Besides other problems, the Italian interest in Albania is related to Italy's role in the Balkans in the framework of the European Union... But this does not mean that the Albanian policy put aside the relations with other states, first with its neighbours, because the stability urged by the E.U. and the U.S. cannot be achieved without a clime of understanding and cooperation between them, the paper reports. "Government confirms dismissal of opposition," is the title of the editorial of Albania. The paper reports that the Albanian government did not agree that the representatives of the Albanian opposition, invited to attend the conference, to present his views and alternatives in the conference. "Italy has criticised the Albanian government for the absence of Berisha (opposition leader Sali Berisha) in Rome," says another article. The same paper quotes the OSCE head Niels Helveg Petersen as saying that "we believe that Berisha's and democrats participation is necessary in the process of reforms." "Conditions precede the Rome conference," the paper says in another article. "Nano, vote of confidence in Rome and Brussels," the newspaper Dita reports. In the second page, the paper carries the article "Invitation for opposition - a reconciliation process between sides" quoting the Italian Foreign minister Lamberto Dini as saying that "divergences should not hinder dialogue and that the dialogue should continue inside the parliament in Tirana." "Unrealisable consensus for us. It seemed that the Albanian politics and those who make it cannot agree," the newspaper Rilindja says, referring to the absence of Berisha in the conference. The newspaper Shekulli reports in the first page "Rome promises millions of dollars," under the headline "Nano's cabinet is optimistic." In the third page, it says "Rome, conference promises millions," under the subtitle "Nano: we will ask $1 billion dollars for aid and projects." "Rome conference, but without opposition," the newspaper Gazeta Shqiptare says in the second page. It carries two other article on the same topic "Why Malaj is absent" and "Dini: Berisha, it is worth being present." pas/mt/ak/k Albanian Telegraphic Agency[14] NATIONAL COMMERCIAL BANK LEVELS NO CHARGE AGAINST VEFATIRANE, OCT.17 (ATA)-By A. Barci,The National Commercial Bank (BKT) has brought no charge against the VEFA company in the court, BKT general director Spiro Brumbulli told ATA on Friday. The spokesman of the government issued on Thursday an announcement, according to which the BKT had brought a law suit against VEFA at the Constitutional Court, accusing it of money laundering. "We are a bank and not an institution of accusation," Brumbulli says. He makes clear to ATA that the BKT, in relation to the VEFA client, implements the state laws in force. Based on the law on transparency, VEFA, as a big loan-taking company, has no right to transfer monetary capitals without the signature of the state administrator. VEFA is the only loan-taking company refusing state administrators. It bases its refusal on an Appeals Court ruling, taken few weeks ago. On its part, the government has appealed against this decision to the Supreme Court, which is expected to issue it soon. VEFA, according to official data of March '97, has 86 000 creditors and a debt of 300 million dollars. kei/lm/k Albanian Telegraphic Agency[15] GOVERNMENT AND VEFA HOLDING EXCHANGE ACCUSATIONSTIRANA, OCT 17 (ATA) -By E. Barçi: The Albanian government and Vefa Holding are exchanging grave accusations against each other within 24 hours.A government spokesman said on Thursday that "the Albanian Commercial Bank has brought a law suit on deals for an illegal transfer of higher amounts of foreign currency deposits by Vefa, failing to declare the source." The Director of the National Commercial Bank Spiro Brumbulli rejected on Friday that he has brought a law suit against VEFA. President of the Vefa Holding Vehbi Alimucaj issued a press release on Friday accusing the government and its spokesman "of increasingly lacking the spirit of national reconciliation and civil ethic." Especially, Alimucaj accuses the minister of Finance Arben Malaj as "the consultant and expert of collapsed pyramid schemes" calling on him to quit. He said that money laundering is not related to his business, thus rejecting the interpretation of the government's statement by media. VEFA Holding and its president Alimucaj have for five years taken loans from investors with a monthly interest of eight per cent. After the collapse of the loan-taking firms "Sude" and "Gjallica" in December '96, the VEFA company unilaterally cancelled some 86 000 loan- taking contracts, initially reducing the monthly returns to five and three per cent and later completely suspending the return of the money to individual creditors. Alimucaj claims that VEFA is the most powerful private company in Albania and a few weeks ago he admitted for the first time that his company's debt to its numerous investors is $300 million, while the asset some billions of dollars. But an official report drafted by the Transparency Commission says that VEFA does not cover the debt of some $300 million (in March '97) with the personal and real properties. A ruling of the Appeals Court in Tirane does not allow the government to attach public auditors to VEFA. While the government has rejected this ruling at the Supreme Court, VEFA has indicted the whole law of transparency at the Constitutional Court. kei/ak/lm/k From the Albanian Telegraphic Agency (ATA) Home Page at http://www.telpress.it/ataAlbanian Telegraphic Agency Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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