UNITED NATIONS FIELD SECURITY OFFICE
TIRANA, ALBANIA
WEEKLY SECURITY REPORT
April 06, 2003
Week 14
Political & General
31/03/03 – Tirana. The Albanian Government accepted at its last meeting that the local
government programme be financed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
with 4.2 million USD. Initially, the UNDP had only 1.244 million USD, but it managed to
obtain the rest of the money from the Executive Committee of the Arab Gulf Foundation.
01/04/03 – Tirana. The Albanian parliament agreed to debate on 14 April a motion of no
confidence to Prime Minister Fatos Nano, requested by the opposition following the last week’s
European Commission report criticizing Albania. The debate should result in a vote of no
confidence to Nano. Bamir Topi, one of the Democratic Party senior officials, said the EC
Report was a request addressed to the Albanians not to accept the current Government.
01/04/03 – Tirana. Prime Minister Fatos Nano did not hesitate on Monday to invite opposition
experts to give their contribution to the drafting of an energy strategy, regardless of the tense
relations between the government and the Democrats. “I would like that the technical debate on
finding rational solutions prevail at this conference, so that this document of major importance
for the country’s stable economic development integrate everyone’s alternatives, hopefully also
those of the opposition,” said the Prime Minister at a conference designed to introduce the
energy strategy. According to Nano, the strategy was aimed at meeting the needs of households
and enterprises by creating and developing the energy market in accordance with the
Memorandum of Understanding of Southeastern Countries, European standards and the
country’s needs.
01/04/03 – Tirana. Chairman of the parliamentary inquiring committee on the use of public
funds by the Municipality of Tirana and the Ministry of Culture during 1992-2002 period, Sokol
Olldashi, told the parliament on Monday that Mayor Edi Rama had refused to make official
documents available to the team of MPs with the excuse that there were no funds for
making photocopies. “We found co-operation in the Ministry of Culture, while the
Municipality always finds absurd, shameful and illogical excuses,” Olldashi said. Parliamentary
Speaker Pellumbi and Deputy Head of the inquiring committee Bardhyl Agasi considered the
delays technical, adding that the documents could be gathered in four days.
01/04/03 – Tirana. Foreign Minister Ilir Meta said last Friday (28 March) that the new European
Commission report on Albania would improve the country’s progress in the accession progress.
Meta reiterated the government’s commitment to strengthening the rule of law and reforming the
internal affairs and justice ministries, as well to the modernization of institutions and economic
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development. “ The EC report on Albania, published two days ago, will help further important
values that are necessary for the success of Albania in the Stabilization Association process.”
01/04/03 – Tirana. Major opposition parliamentary forces have recently been asking for the
government’s resignation after the European Commission published the second annual report for
Albania on the stabilization and Association process. The Democratic Party (DP) chairman, Sali
Berisha said in a news conference on Saturday that the government, headed by Fatos Nano,
should resign as it is increasingly showing lack of governance ability.
01/04/03 – Tirana. None of the 140 Albanian MPs has filled in and submitted the forms
declaring their assets to the parliamentary committee on declaration of assets of senior servants,
although 31 March 2003 was the deadline for senior officials to submit their forms. The MPs
justified themselves by saying that they were waiting for the new law on declaration of assets to
be adopted. The parliamentary committee is currently discussing the draft law on the issue on
economy. Korrieri points out that the MPs justification was not acceptable, since the current law
is still in force.
01/04/03 – Tirana. Some Physicians with suspicious diplomas exercise their profession and are
not controlled by relevant authorities, the President of the Albanian Order of Physicians, Dino
Dinaj, was quoted as saying in the annual analysis by daily Sot on Saturday. According to Dinaj,
physicians from abroad arrive in Albania with suspicious diplomas and exercise the profession
without being supplied with the necessary license.
01/04/03 –Tirana. Daily Shekulli newspaper quoted that the journalist Rezar Xhaxhiu reports
from Strasbourg that President of the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly Peter
Schieder said at a press conference “Albania is committing itself significantly to the right path of
reforms”. He said the recent tensions in the country’s political life should be overcome, but
added that what was really important was the tendency to move towards internal
democratization of the country’s parliamentary and political life. Schieder thanked Albania for
being among the first countries to respond to his request for Serbia and Montenegro’s
membership in the Council of Europe. He said that was an indication that Albania was becoming
more and more a European country.
02/04/03 –Tirana. Daily Gazeta Shqiptare quoted that in its annual report on the state of human
rights in the world, the US Department of State said that Albania does not respect human
rights, although it has been trying to install a Western democracy for a long time. The report
says that Albania still has problems with the performance of the police force. It points out
that corruption and poor performance of the police can seriously affect Albania’s security. Also,
the report holds the police responsible for serious violations of human rights in cases of
maltreatment of those detained, suspected and arrested. “A serious problem for the justice
system remains corruption and pressure exerted by the executive power,” the report says.
As for the issue of trafficking, the report says that Albania remains a country of origin and
transit. “There have been cases when the police themselves have been involved in this
trafficking,” the report says. It states that the press is often used by the politics for its own
interests.
02/04/03 –Tirana. At the end of February, the Management International System released a
report on trafficking in human beings, stressing that Albania is a transit country for women from
Romania, Moldova, Bulgaria and Ukraine, while Italy is their destination. The report says that
Greece is the country where children are trafficked to and where they are used for selling
flowers, stealing and prostitution. Most of the trafficked children belong to Roma or Egyptian
communities. The report says that although there is progress in identifying the measures to
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counter trafficking, there is still much to be done with their implementation. On the corruption
side, the report says that NGOs, IOM and OSCE tackle this issue more than the Albanian
Government itself.
02/04/03 –Tirana. Daily newspaper quoted that the Albanian police launched on Tuesday a large
operation to hit trafficking in narcotics and illegal immigrants. Sources from the Ministry of
Public Order said the operation was covering several districts and a great number of people were
arrested on suspicion of running illegal activities. The operation, which is considered to be the
second phase of an anti-trafficking campaign, also included searches of hotels, motels and
suspected apartments in Tirana. Some 40 persons were detained until the late hours in the
evening. Deputy Head of the Tirana Police Directorate Edmond Rizai is running the operation in
the capital.
02/04/03 –Tirana .The Mayor of Tirana Edi Rama surprised the opposition leader by covering
the walls of the capital’s Municipality with 300 meters square of calico where Sali Berisha’s
accusations and sayings against Edi Rama were written. Albania says that Doctor Berisha was
unfortunately not in Albania on 1 April, known as the Fools Day. Berisha, who is on a visit to
Strasbourg, did not have a chance to watch the show live, but sources close to the opposition
said that two cameramen from the media close to the Democratic Party had filmed the façade of
the Municipality.
02/04/03 – Tirana. After 12 years of transition, Albania is still experiencing serious difficulties
of extreme poverty and loss of hope by people driven to commit extreme acts (suicides),
daily Koha Jone said in its editorial on Tuesday.
02/04/03 – Tirana. Albanian Daily News reported that Albania’s crooked judges and police
officers are coming under renewed pressure to clean up their acts. One recent spectacular
miscarriage of justice has made a mockery of government claims that its lawmakers can
prosecute and punish without bias-a prerequisite if Albania is to be considered for European
Union membership. Aleksander Kuqo, a 28-year-old gangster from the town of Berat, was
sentenced late last year to life imprisonment by an Italian court on charges of murder and the
trafficking of humans and drugs. The convicted killer was released and hadn’t been seen sincethough rumors suggest he is likely to be in Kosovo and in Greece. After the gangster Kuqo’s
evasion of justice sparked a media furore, the High Council of Justice-Albania’s highest
lawmaking body-sacked the district chief prosecutor in Fier and cautioned the prosecutor in the
case, Aleksander Tanku. Analysts who have welcomed these gestures nonetheless believe they
are a somewhat hasty response, aimed at foreign officials and the opposition. They say the
corruption in the courtroom is a symptom of a greater malaise in Albanian society-lack of faith
in the law-and the government’s assurance that it is fighting bias will be ineffective unless it
reaches the ears of the citizens.
03/04/03 – Tirana. Daily Gazeta Shqiptare reported that the US Department of State Report on
Human Rights Practices in 2002 points out that ethnic and religious minorities in Albania are
still being discriminated against and that there are no recent official statistics regarding the
size of various ethnic communities. “The Government omitted questions regarding ethnicity and
religion in the April 2001 census, which caused some ethnic Greeks to boycott the process,”
says the report, adding that ethnic Greeks are the largest minority group. The report also notes
that the ethnic Greek minority pursued grievances with the Government regarding electoral
zones, Greek-language education, property rights and government documents.
03/04/03 – Tirana. Panorama newspaper reported that the Albanian Ministry of Public Order has
declared an Egyptian national as wanted for several days already after receiving information
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from the US intelligence services that a dangerous Islamic person was in the country. The
37-year-old Egyptian national is on the international list of those wanted for terrorism. The news
was kept secret for two weeks, until Panorama discovered the story.
03/04/03 – Tirana. Ballkan newspaper reported that the Albanian Encouragement Project (AEP),
which represents 74 non-governmental organizations operating in Albania for 12 years
already, said that some 60 million USD enter Albania every year through non-governmental
organizations. AEP Manager Grant Van Cleve made clear that 60 million USD represented the
investments achieved in Albania every year. He added that a significant amount of aid entered
the country as well.
04/04/03 – Tirana. Daily Shekulli reported that the Prosecutor’s Office accused former Head of
the National Intelligence Service Fatos Klosi of having abused his duty by abusing the public
funds he was allocated. The move comes following six months of investigations, but the
Prosecutor’s Office still does not know how much of the 4.5-million Lek fund Klosi has
misused. Klosi and his lawyer dismissed charges, while the prosecutor looking into the case
refused to comment on the issue.
04/04/03 – Tirana. Daily Albania quoted that the former Head of the National Intelligence
Service, accused by the two main political leaders in the country for various crimes, became a
member of the Socialist Party on Thursday. Klosi’s membership in the SP comes following the
membership of another key political figure, former President Rexhep Meidani, in the same
party. The newspaper speculates that Klosi’s political engagement was not only aimed at
recycling his political career, but also at supporting a powerful lobby within the ruling party
against SP chairman and Prime Minister Fatos Nano.
04/04/03 – Tirana. Daily Koha Jone quoted that the Prime Minister Nano said the countries in
the region should respond to crime by fighting it and proposed the establishment of a regional
task force to fulfill this goal. Nano made the proposal during the conference Strategy of
Leadership for Strengthening Trans-Atlantic Relations, held in Athens. “While criminals in our
region manage to communicate with each other perfectly well, we should not waste time to
strengthen our structures, to consolidate peace, security and speed up the integration process for
the entire region,” Nano said.
04/04/03 – Tirana. The Albanian parliament approved with 63 votes in favor, 34 against and 8
abstentions an agreement with Greece to reconstruct the Naval Base in Durres. Four Socialist
MP’s, Ilir Zela, Taulant Dedja, Sabit Brokaj and Zyhdi Pepa, however joined the opposition
MPs and asked that the agreement be reviewed.
04/04/03 – Tirana. Daily Shekulli reported that commenting on the possible impact of Albania’s
joining the coalition against Iraq on the country’s EU integration process, US Ambassador in
Tirana James Jeffrey said that the Iraq operation was not an individual act of the United States
against Iraq. “There are 50 countries who have decided to disarm a regime which violates 16
very important Security Council resolutions. Perhaps it is not for me to judge relations between
Albania and the EU, but I can say that the viewpoint that this war has divided the US and
Europe is not right, and it causes problems to very important institutions like the United Nations,
NATO, the European Union,” Jeffrey said. He added that Albania would not be isolated because
it had many countries on its side.
04/04/03 – Tirana. Democratic Party Secretary for International Relations Mustafaj gave a twopage interview to Albania. He commented on some former DP leaders’ appeals for chairman
Sali Berisha to quit saying this was justified by their fear of competition. Speaking about the
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latest reports on Albania by international institutions, Mustafaj said they were referring to a
specific political period in the country, which was the time when the Nano government was
formed. He added that Albania’s most precious capital nowadays was friendship with
democratic countries, but the Albanian majority was lacking readiness to respond to that
friendship by concrete commitment. He explained that the latest international reports, constantly
and independently of each other, were trying to tell the Albanian society to wake up to the truth
and not reconcile with the incumbent government.
04/04/03 – Tirana. Daily Gazeta Shqiptare quoted that a study conducted by the World Bank
showed the way the taxes were collected in Albania was wrong as it left room for abuse and
corruption. “The scale and the way taxes are collected in Albania do not encourage participation
of all of the businesses. Instead, they encourage extension of informal businesses,” the study
said.
05/04/03 – Tirana. Daily Shekulli reported that addressing the Conference Albanian Coalition
Against Corruption, US Ambassador in Tirana James Jeffrey said that the latest European
Commission Report on Albania was a dismal reminder of the progress that needed to be
achieved in the fight against corruption in this country. Citing excerpts from the report, Jeffrey
said that the bad news was that roots of trafficking in infants were very deep and that the
systems of corruption and criminal gangs, who have used the weakness of some people to traffic
them, still existed. The US Ambassador said the anti-trafficking efforts belonged to and involved
everyone. “I call on the government and the state-run agencies to work together and better cooperate with the Albanian Coalition Against Corruption. The Government, the civil society,
prosecutors, law enforcement and the judicial system should share and take seriously the
responsibility of defending Albania’s citizens and stop organized crime and nonpunishment that crime is apparently enjoying,” Jeffrey said.
05/04/03 – Tirana. Former chief of State Informative Service (SHISH), Fatos Klosi has been
charged with abuse of duty, official sources from the district Prosecution, said Thursday. Klosi
is accused of having abused a tender of Lek6 million held by SHISH during the period he was at
head of this institution, causing a revenue loss of Lek 4million.
05/04/03 – Tirana. The opposition Democratic Party (DP) has already started efforts to organize
peaceful protests aimed at overthrowing the Socialist government headed by Fatos Nano, daily
Albania said in its report on Friday.
05/04/03 – Fier. A group of citizens from Fieri, south of Albania, protested Thursday in front of
the District Police Department, claiming that police officers had exercised violence during
controls exerted in their houses. “Late at night, police knocked down the door, terrorizing the
inhabitants as if they were ordinary criminals,” one of the citizens quoted by daily Shekulli as
saying on Friday. The chief of Fieri polic, Zigur Bizhga said police exerted controls in the
citizen’s houses as they allegedly had information on existence of drugs. “ All police did was to
enforce law”, Bizhga said. State Police have started since Monday a national anti-trafficking
operation expected to last one week. Controls have been exerted in houses, hotels, and vehicles
that are linked with illegal activities. A report published on March 31 by the US State
Department on the respect of human rights in Albania highlighted that police officers, in some
cases, had committed human rights abuses.
05/04/03 – Tirana. As many as 31 fuel tankers and other military equipment were donated to the
Albanian Army by the Swiss government.
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Anti-trafficking
31/03/03 – Vlore. Police sequestered 90 kg of pressed drug in Mavrone village, in Vlora district.
According to preliminary investigations, the drug quantity belonged to the citizens Arsen Xhevat
Lika, 19, and Hekuran Hoxha.
31/03/03 – Vlore. Police arrested and detained Pajtim Hoxha, from the Mavrove village, charged
for being involved in a drug network. At the time of his arrest police found in his possession 3.7
kg of marijuana. Police investigations continue.
01/04/03 –Durres. Albanian police arrested the crew of a Greek ship on suspicion of smuggling
Pakistanis into Europe, the Interior Ministry said Monday. The six crew members-two Greeks,
two Syrians and a Bangladeshi- were taken into custody Sunday night at Albania’s main port of
Durres, 30 kilometers (18) miles west of the capital, Tirana, police said. The ship, the Anastasios
II, was seized. Authorities were looking for the vessel’ s Greek captain, Kostandinos Smiziz, 56.
They said the crew was suspected of the attempted smuggling of five Pakistanis who allegedly
paid $6,000 to reach Albania via Croatia. Albania is a transit country for Asians, Kurds and
other illegal immigrants trying to reach Italy and Greece. Despite some recent success in
cracking down on human trafficking, the European Union is pressuring the Albanian
government to step up its efforts.
02/04/03 –Tirana. Every person driving a vehicle passing from Albania to Kosovo will have his
passport signed with a special seal with the initials FH, as part of efforts by Kukes Anti- traffic
Office in cooperation with UNMIK police, official police sources said. To prevent this way of
trafficking, experts clarified that vehicles entering Kosovo are registered, while drivers have
their passports sealed. Meantime Kukes police sources say that almost 31 vehicles have been
seized in Kukes, Has, and Bajram Curri police stations and legalization and identification
procedures from prosecution are underway to restitute them to the owners.
02/04/03 –Durres. Two police officers of Durres Port, Central Albania, were suspended
from duty on Monday, after Italian authorities repatriated two Albanian citizens who crossed the
border with false documents, official sources said. Dashamir Bisha and Ismail Osmani, were
suspended because on March 24 they allowed the Albanian citizens cross the border with forged
documents. Police detained the citizens, while Bisha and Osmani suspension followed the
citizens’ interrogation. Sources explained that further investigations have set off in order to find
out whether there is a case of corruption of police officers or negligence of duty, due to high
work intensity and absence of the necessary controlling equipment. Meanwhile, police of Durres
Port arrested on Saturday and on Sunday as many as six citizens of Albanian, Kosovar and
Macedonian nationality while trying to across the border with fake passports.
02/04/03 –Tirana. Prosecutors of “ Cocaine” case presented their closing argument on six
defendants charged with international illegal drug trafficking, in the session held on
Monday. The prosecutors asked 20 years of prison for Frederik Duda, who was considered the
head of network, as a well as a fine of Lek three million. They asked 18 years of prison for
defendants Sokol Kociu, Arben Perballa and Mentor Hadergjonaj as well as a fine of Lek three
million. Prosecutors asked six years of prison for Vehbi Hysi and seven years and six months for
Alfred Nanaj. Besides sentences on the defendants, the prosecution councilors asked that the
speedboat and about $1million that belonged to the defendants and was seized by the
prosecution be forfeited to the state.
02/04/03 – Bari. The Bari Tribunal Court sentenced to 12 years and 9 months of imprisonment,
Ardjan Katrioshi, six years of imprisonment, Alfred Katro and 5 years and 4 months of
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imprisonment, Albana Katroi, charged for being involved in a drug network. Police
investigations continue.
02/04/03 – Vicenza. Italian police arrested and detained Haki Haskiu, 27, charged for being
involved in a drug network. At the time of his arrest police found in his possession 0.5 kg of
cocaine. Police investigations continue.
03/04/03 –Tirana. Daily Shekulli reported that the police operation named Storm took police
officers on Wednesday to Fier, Durres, Vlora and Gjirokaster in search of areas from where
speedboats are suspected to traffic illegal immigrants, but also of hotels, motels and coffee shops
where criminals are said to be gathering. The operation resulted in the detention of a police
officer, accused of narcotics smuggling. Official sources from the Fier Police Directorate said
that the police officer was detained in his house, where 120 kilos of cannabis sativa were found.
Six other people were also detained as a result of the operation, on charges of drugs smuggling,
illegal possession of weapons and production of alcoholic liquids.
At the same time, the Durres police seized an Anastasia-motored speedboat.
In Vlora, the police found 41 kilos of marijuana in a private house.
05/04/03 – Shkoder. Police sequestered 500 kg of cannabis sativa, at a house, in Barcolle
village, in Shkodra district.
05/04/03 – Milano. Italy. Italian Police arrested and then detained three Albanian nationals, Ilir
Osmani, 38, Astrit Katakulli, and Sajmir Terkici, charged for being involved in a drug network.
At the time of their arrest, Italian police sequestered 23 kg of cocaine, 8 kg of heroine and 125
kg of hashish. Police Investigations continue.
05/04/03 –Tirana. Daily Shekulli reported that Five persons from Dures and Kavaja were
arrested on Friday by the Durres police in co-operation with special structures in the Ministry of
Public Order, on suspicion of being members of an international racket of trafficking in infants
and illegal immigrants as part of a police operation coded “Storm.” Among those arrested in
Italy in connection with the same racket a member of the group was an Albanian Intelligence
Service staff member.
06/04/03 – Tirane. Police sequestered 15 kg of hashish, in Shkodra-Tirana railway line. Police
arrested and then detained its owner, Lulash Prendi, 24. Police investigations continue.
06/04/03 – Durres. Durres Border Police arrested 5 citizens from Kosovo, charged for
attempting to cross illegally the borderline to Italy. Police investigations continue.
Crime& Incidents
31/04/03 – Sarande. The Border Police of Saranda District arrested a foreign national, who
declared to be from Sri Lanka. At the time of his arrest, police found on him, false identity
documents. Police investigations continue.
31/04/03 – Malesi e Madhe. Zef Vat Fusha, 45, was arrested by police for suspicion of injuring
with a gun Fran Dede Demaj, 36. The shooting followed an argument over land ownership.
Fusha is declared wanted by police. Police investigations continue.
31/04/03 – Some unidentified persons stole a big generator from the Tax Building, in Librazhd
City. Police investigations continue.
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31/04/03 – Urbino. Italy. Police arrested an Albanian national, whose name was not reported by
the newspaper, charged for assaulting with a broken glass bottle the Italian national, Enriko
Valletta, 26, following an argument over a young woman. Police investigations continue.
31/04/03 – Elbasan. Police of Elbasan City declared wanted Endri Dedja, a former policeman
and bodyguard of the former chief of the Elbasan Police Commissariat, suspected to have
injured with a pistol national, Besnik Albrahimi, 40, following an argument. Police
investigations continue.
01/04/03 – Tirane. An Albanian national, 50, committed suicide by hanging himself from an
olive branch. The police have not yet identified the man. No reason has been reported. However
according to police investigations, the man might have been suffering from mental depression.
Police investigations continue.
01/04/03 – Durres. Y. Bekteshi attempted to commit suicide, by injuring herself with an
axe. The woman was suffering from depression official sources were quoted as saying.
01/04/03 – Fier. The Fier Tribunal Court sentenced to 5 years of imrisonment, Fejzi Toska, 51,
and his son, Edmond Toska, 24, whose professions was taxi drivers, charged for assaulting
Theodhori Doraci, following an argument, caused by Doraci’s refusal to travel with their
vehicle.
01/04/03 – Elbasan. Police arrested and then detained A.Zalla, 16, charged for attempting to
rob and to murder the national Bujar Maliqi. K.Qevani aand E.Tabaku are declared wanted by
police, charged for aiding and abetting Zalla. Police investigations continue.
01/04/03 – Berat. Klodjan Doka was badly injured by the accidental explosion of a grenade.
Doka was playing with the grenade with his friend, Dorjan Gjiolena. Police arrested and then
detained Gjolena, charged for illegal arms bearing. At the time of his arrest, police found in his
possession one box of grenades, another one with detonation capsules, and two other boxes
with explosive materials. Police investigations continue.
01/04/03 – Durres. Some unidentified persons detonated explosive materials, close to a pub,
in Sukthe, Durres District. The incident happened at five to one o’ clock a.m.
No motive was officially reported but according to police investigations the incident came as a
result of an argument. Police investigations continue.
01/04/03 – Fier. Police arrested and then detained Bardhyl Haxhiaj, 30, charged for injuring
with a weapon, Taulant Nazeraj, 17, following an argument for two football teams.
02/04/03 – Kukes. Police arrested and then detained Urim Picari, 22, charged for robbery.
02/04/03 – Mestre. Italy. Italian police arrested two Albanian citizens accused of a series of
robberies recorded in Mestre town, the local media reported. Albert Rrapaj, 31, and Lulezim
Rrapaj, 35, had performed a series of robberies within three hours and during the control
exerted in their house police found a considerable quantity of jewelry, a personal computer and
several mobile phones. Meanwhile, Italian police also arrested Elidon Kocia, 25, proclaimed
wanted for several robberies and sentenced by the court to two years of prison.
03/04/03 – Durres. Police arrested and then detained R.H, 20, G.SH. 29, and K.K. The three
Albanian nationals are suspected to have kidnapped E.Xhanaqi. Police investigations continue.
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03/04/03 – Vlore. Police arrested and then detained Mane Curi, 38, suspected to have committed
sexual abuse on two young women. One of them was his relative. Police investigations continue.
03/04/03 – Berat. Bektash Vrapi, committed suicide by poisoning himself, at his house.
According to preliminary investigations the man was suffering from depression.
03/04/03 – Permet. Some unidentified person detonated explosive materials at a Catholic
Church in Permet, which caused damage to the frontal part of this church. No motive has been
reported. Police investigations continue.
03/04/03 – Tirane. Police arrested and then detained Sadik Muka, 40, charged for vehicle theft.
03/04/03 – Kukes. Shpetim Meshi, an escaped wanted person, was repatriated from Kosovo.
When he escaped he was serving 22 years of imprisonment for murder.
04/04/03 – Permet. An explosion in Permeti southern town partially has destroyed the house of
Jani Stendal, a Norwegian religious missionary. Official sources from local police said the
explosion of at least 100 grams of TNT destroyed on Thursday the garage door and the windows
of the building, which served as a church. According to preliminary investigations, personal
motives are suspected to be main cause of the explosion. Meanwhile, police detained Artur
Gjoka, 24, and Artur Cela, 28, suspected to be the authors. Sources said Stendal, who has been
preaching for 10 years in this town, rejected the possibility of any contradiction with citizens,
which may have led to the explosion.
04/04/03 –Tirana. Kristaq Cama died on Thursday in the Military Hospital because of the
wounds caused by several bullets in his backbone and one of the legs. Cami, also known as
“Taqi I Majes”, was one of the two wounded persons in last Sunday’s execution at the leisure
complex in the Capital known as Kartodromi, where two other persons died, including the
owner, Fatmir Rama also known as Miri I Xhikes.
05/04/03 – Korce. Luiza Poreci, 64, committed suicide, by jumping from the fifth floor of the
building, in which she was living in. According to preliminary investigations, the old woman
was suffering from depression.
06/04/03 – London. An unidentified person murdered Arber Jahelezi, 19, of Albanian origin.
No motive was officially reported. Police investigations continue.
06/04/03 – Kruje. Police arrested Ymer Kurti, 43, an employee of a private security company,
close to the Rinas Airport, suspected to have murdered with a gun, Sulejman Minja, 53. No
motive was officially reported. Police investigations continue.
06/04/03 – Durres. Police arrested Luan Piro, 19, charged for accidentally injuring with rifle,
his 12-year- old neighbor.
Accidents
05/03/03 –Tirane. Denis Murati, 4, died, after being knocked over by a lorry. The accident
happened close to Bovilla e Re buildings, at the Bathore Zone, in Tirana City. According to
preliminary investigations, the accident happened due to the loss of the driver’s vehicle control.
Police investigations continue.
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Travel Advisory
All travel requires security clearance.
Fire Safety
Alb Security is holding a one- day workshop on Fire Accidents and security at the Tirana
International Hotel on 11 April. Security Focal points from agencies and projects are encouraged
to attend. Kindly contact me for further information if you are interested in attending.
Security Assessment.
The security situation remains stable.
United Nations staff members are advised to keep away from all demonstrations organized in
the main city square. You are also advised to keep a low profile in your personal outings.
Regional
03/04/03 –Tirana. Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis told his Albanian counterpart Fatos
Nano yesterday that the War Law issue was definitely politically and legally a closed chapter,
explaining that the Treaty of Friendship and Co-operation, ratified by the parliaments of Albania
and Greece has ended the problem legally. The Greek Prime Minister praised Albania’s stability
and progress in the light of its partnership with the European Union. Korrieri reports that Greece
is preparing restitution of Çam properties, confiscated in 1944. According to the newspaper, that
was a result of a 45-minute meeting between Nano and Simitis, during which they discussed
mending the negative consequences of the war. A working team from the Greek side has already
drafted a project to solve the problem. It is now on the desk of the Greek President. Its
examination has been delayed due to the Iraqi war.
Best regards.
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