By Ferdinand Dervish
Memorie.al / The testimony of Llambi Peçini, the former head of the Department of Internal Affairs in Vlora, is completely different from the “apologies” of the previous defendants. From the beginning, Llambi says: “I have never been an agent of foreign intelligence, of any foreign intelligence or of any particular person. I have never been an enemy of the party, but a loyal soldier of the party and Comrade Enver. In some of my processes, I have declared, I have made depositions”. In fact, some of Lamp’s statements to the investigator were made, as the investigator knew how to do in such cases, the use of torture as a means of coercion. An interesting fact is the one given, about the possibility of an assassination attempt on Sadik Premte in Paris. The announcement had come from the residency in Paris, whose chief was Llambi Peçini. The investigation, thinking that the order was given by the minister Mehmet Shehu, wanted to implicate these two, Llambi and Mehmet, even though the victim was a figure hated by the communist regime, like Sadik Premtja, thus ending the “agency” of the two people aforementioned.
In fact, the Soviet chief adviser Glaskov did not agree to this action, since in his conversation with Kadri Hazbiu and Zoi Themel, this action seemed to him to be prompted by the Turkish discovery. While in court, the idea is given that Enver Hoxha had stopped the action, as a terrorist act. Llambi at that time, in 1951, had been the deputy head of the Foreign Intelligence branch. The assassination was carried out unsuccessfully and by order of the Security, and, for this reason, Glaskovi had reacted. But, in the courtroom, Kadri Hazbiu admitted that he was the one who gave the order for the assassination of Sadik Premte. This, because Minister Mehmet Shehu was not there that day and the Party was closely required to approve the execution.
Enver Hoxha then criticized Hazbiu, as Zbulimi should not have dealt with these things. At that time, a person sick with tuberculosis had volunteered, which would kill him in a few months. He had said to kill him in Paris, Sadik Premten, and then to die in Albania. Llambi then does not accept what the investigator put in the record of his questions. The investigator had shown him the recordings of the depositions of Fiqret Shehu, Skënder Shehu and Gani Kodra, which were set to the “deposition” of Llambit. It was about a statement in Paris, as if a person, presented as a doctor (“of the American agency”), in 1972, had come to meet Mehmet Shehu.
This confession of Llambit brought out for the first time the assembling and falsifying role of the investigation, on the one hand and on the other hand, it showed that Peçini had no intention of affirming what was signed on his behalf during the investigation. When the meeting of the Captive Nations Assembly was held in Strasbourg, the Security agent there planned to blow up the meeting, but demanded guarantees. The Soviet chief adviser and Kadri Hazbiu had agreed, but Llambi could not remember why this had not been done. Llambi also testified about the attempt in 1961, of the Security agent in Rome, “Rampa”, to purchase technology, even the secret of the atomic bomb, for amounts that went up to 8 thousand dollars.
Peçini had concluded that “Rampa” was nothing but a fraud. However, the matter had gone to Minister Kadri Hazbiu, to Prime Minister Mehmet Shehu, who had approved the amount. “Rampa”, had received the money and had sent some films. After these had not been opened, they had taken it to the Chinese, who after 3 months, had said that it was just a bluff, and nothing else. Llambi continues to say that; those he signed during the investigation were done under the “dictation of the investigation”, since he knows “nothing hostile”.
In this case, the word was written that Mehmet Shehu had told him that in order to overthrow the government, the forces of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of People’s Defense, the Republic Guard and the Police would be used. Pečini says that; he had no knowledge at all about the Teme Sejko process, nor did he admit to having been a member of a so-called; “Counterrevolutionary organization”!
Llambi puts the prosecutor on the spot, when he tells him that he was not told any evidence, that he was an “agent of the Yugoslavs”, and then “an agent of the Soviets”. Providing information to OZN in the first years, Pečini does not call it treason, as this was the working practice of the time. “And this is how you speak today” – Peçini addresses the president and the prosecutor of the trial, – but you must not forget that then we shouted; Enver – Tito – Stalin”. Both leaders of the trial addressed Pečin, as if he had established ties with Yugoslavia. But Peçini returned to him with a calmness that did not know where it came from, when he affirmed that; until 1948, Sigurimi had worked according to the Yugoslav model, while after this year, according to the Soviet one.
Lambi says that; the investigation “had evidence” that he had been put in the “service of capitalist-revisionist states”, but it did not present any evidence. To the word “flint” by the prosecutor, Llambi Peçini, calmly replied: “I was Mehmet Shehu’s deputy, why don’t you say it”?! At the beginning of the next session, Mihallaq Ziçishti, makes a defense for the accusation, as he says that; what Llambi Peçini signed to the investigator are true, as he also told him.
Llambi Peçini’s statement in the courtroom, August 23, 1983.
“Now I have yes for Kadri again. About an agent we had, it was either ’60 or ’61, I can’t remember the year, but it must be either ’60 or ’61, I went back in the Discovery, after laughing in the Secretariat. Even our resident in Italy, responsible for our Discovery in Italy, was Dhimitër Gjoni, and he informs us that he had the opportunity, through the agent “Rampa”, to receive an anti-tank projectile, nicknamed “Cobra”, remotely controlled. But he wanted $2,000 for the job to buy it. Also, a short time later, the person responsible for the discovery, Dhimitër Gjoni from Rome, informs us again, and says that the agent “Rampa” has the opportunity to get the secret of the atomic bomb. But he wants 6000 dollars, because he has a friend of his, who has it in the atomic center of France, he can get this, but he wants 6000 dollars and 2000, for the “Cobra” they made 8000 dollars.
Now we got this clue and I talk it over with Zoe (Foundation – Discovery Director). After studying the file of the “Rampa” agent, he requested information from the person in charge of our Discovery in Rome. How, since, where do you know this person? He sent us, that is, as if this agent “Rampa”, you had given him the telephone number in Paris of this atomic scientist, you had given him the address, where he lived and the third, you had also made an appointment with him for a date , I don’t know after a month, after a certain time, our agent had made a meeting with this scientist, his friend, i.e. At this time, I make a request to our residency in France and tell him to verify who lives at this address, that is, where he told us that this atomist lives.
Verify this phone number, who is the subscriber of this phone number and notify us as soon as possible about this work – I tell him. We receive an answer from the residency of Paris, at such and such an address, i.e. exactly, because we gave him the exact number, so-and-so lives, i.e. one after another, not the one that the “Rampa” agent said, and the phone number you gave us has no subscribers. The French had a similar method, that is, when a number had no subscribers, there was a record block, which said this number has no subscribers, this number has no subscribers and always repeated this, in order that he would not he waited a lot, he even closed it, i.e., this number had no subscribers, i.e., he lied to us. It was a lie.
We also sent him the photo of that agent “Rampa”, responsible for the Discovery of our residency in France, who was to meet at the cafe “De la pen”, (Café de la paix, ed.) “Cafe of peace”, it is a coffee big in Paris, at such and such an hour. He didn’t come. He answers us at such and such an hour on such and such a day so-and-so did not come; such a person did not come. In photography we sent you a new one as he was at the time. That is, three moments that were very suspicious that this one was lying to us.Then I made a note in the file and said this agent is a provocateur, or wants to extort us, as much as possible, that’s why I don’t agree to give him 8000 dollars. I also tell Zoi Themel, I tell him that this Dhimitre Gjoni is not right.
At that time he was the director of Discovery, the deputy director was Rasim Dedja, so either Rasim should go there, or I should go, I told him, or it would be better to call Dhimitër Gjon here, because there you can’t talk at length, with the resident, save yourself Let’s call him. We call Dhimitër Gjon. Now this was the most important problem for the Directorate of Discovery, Zoi Themeli, when Dhimitër Gjoni came, he told me to talk, he said, with Dhimitre.
Yes, I said, you talk to him, because you are the Director of Discovery, I am the head of the branch, I said. I attended residencies abroad. No, no, he said, because I have work. There is no bigger job than this, the Directorate of Political Intelligence, I told him. No, no, he said, go meet him and report back to me tomorrow. I only hung out with Dhimitër Gjoni, to fill his mind that I had him as a friend and to fill his mind, that he is not well.
Even at the end and as the head of the branch, I had him on the line. Dhimitri obeyed and finally said; that’s right, this is a provocateur, this is an agent. We will report to Zoi the next day. I had to report to Zoi and I was getting ready to report, he said; tell me how things are; said to Dhimitri. Dimitri began to speak. What was Dhimitri going to say, he said what he had sent us? Let’s go to the minister, to Kadriu. Mor, it’s coming out like that…! Come on – let’s go. We went to Kadri Hazbiu and Zoi reported to Kadri now, about what you had informed us, the Italian residency before. Kadriu takes Mehmet Shehu on the phone and tells him that; we have a problem and he asked for 8,000 dollars, because Zoi could not give 8,000 dollars, and Kadriu could not give 8,000 dollars, so he got Mehmet Shehu on the phone.
I told him at this time. Mehmet tells him to come, because Mehmet Shehu said; let’s come for a while, without talking to him for this or that reason. I told Kadri Hazbiu, take it, minister friend, there are some very suspicious moments here, I told him. Well, he said, explain this to them. I am of the opinion that these should not be given. But since Mehmet Shehu was waiting, he ran away and left me. I went up to my office, when later Dhimitër Gjoni comes to my office and tells me that; they were approved, the $8,000. I told him, now I’m telling you as a friend, I told him that as the head of the branch I did the job, you’re doing this, I told him, you’re going to be dirty, you’re going to be ashamed, don’t give him the money. I was angry and for the 8000 dollars, because it was a large amount, I was very angry, that he was throwing a mask at us, he was mocking the authority of our Discovery. Actually that’s how it turned out.
Dhimitër Gjoni gave us the money, he sent us films, filmed the secret of the atomic bomb, in quotes and this, about the “Cobra” projectile, he sent us a beautiful magazine, so she had it in print and sent it to us as material , for $2,000. In these films, we did not have the opportunity to wash and develop them, but we did not have the opportunity to understand them and it was decided by the minister, (at that time by Kadri Hazbiu), it was decided that these should be sent to China. They also sent you to China. The Chinese prolonged it, prolonged it, it took about 3 months. After some 3-4 months, the Chinese replied that; this is a bluff. It’s a bluff; it cost our state 8,000 dollars.”
Llambi Peçini’s debates in court, with Aranit Çela
ARANIT ÇELA: Defendant Llambi Peçini, you are accused of being a member of an organization whose objective was the physical liquidation of the first secretary of the Central Committee…!
LLAMBI PEÇINI: I have not been a part of any counter-revolutionary organization and I do not know at all about the existence of a counter-revolutionary organization headed by the poly-agent Mehmet Shehu. Here it says Llambi Peçini has accepted her platform, I don’t know anything about the platform, I didn’t even hear about it. Here in the investigator, I read that platform for the first time, I didn’t even know about the famous program of poly-agent Mehmet Shehu. He has worked to protect the members and the entire organization from de-conspiracy.
I didn’t know anyone who was against the party, I didn’t know anything about the hostile activity of the traitor Mehmet Shehu, that I would have denounced to the party. It is said that I had concrete tasks for the realization of the military coup to eliminate the first secretary of the Central Committee of the Party. I didn’t have any specific task, I don’t know anything about this work and I want to give explanations about this, because Fiqrete Shehu accuses me. Fiqrete Shehu, in the confrontation, said that Mehmeti had told him that Llambi Peçini had proposed two options to him, a car accident and a gun accident, and allegedly as if he had called Feçor Shehu, from villa no. 6, that he told Llambi Peçini, that those proposals of his are dropped…!
ARANIT ÇELA: I have the minutes here, here’s what you say here: “I admit that I have carried out hostile activities against the Labor Party. The hostile position is early and developed for years, as a direct link of Mehmet Shehu. Because of my early position in a hostile position against the party and because of my being a collaborator of the group headed by Mehmet Shehu, I had a hard time deciding to accept the main activity that I carried out”. That’s your say. Do you accept this?
LLAMBI PEÇINI:I do not accept it. I said, they were taken from me by force…!
ARANIT ÇELA: Regarding the purpose of the organization, again in this file no. 6, it is said: “As I have stated before, I learned from Mehmet Shehu, that Kadri Hazbiu was the main early collaborator in the conspiracy he was leading. As Mehmet Shehu told me, Kadri Hazbi was tasked with the task of using the striking force of the Guard, the Security Police, at the appropriate moment, on his (Mehmet’s) order, to eliminate the obstacles”, as he called them, party and state leaders.
LLAMBI PEÇINI: No, I said I don’t accept it, that I did this under the influence…!
ARANIT ÇELA: Good. Fiqret Shehu, implicates you precisely as a member of the organization and as a person who had knowledge about the issue of the coup and the physical liquidation.
LLAMBI PEÇINI: No, I don’t accept it.
Assistant judge: Now, how do you explain, defendant that your depositions dated…?!
LLAMBI PEÇINI: For almost 4 and half months, I froze saying I am innocent. The former director of the Investigation, Piro Dautaj, along with the investigator Mark Nikaj, recorded me, this is what Fiqret Shehu says about you, and this is what Llambi Ziçishti says…!
PROSECUTOR: When it was communicated to you in general, then all the charges, did I come to the investigator…?
LLAMBI PEÇINI: You came to me…?!
PROSECUTOR: I remember it. After the charges were communicated, all of them for terror and for all of them, you told us that we should continue with the investigators some other day, because I have not been well. I asked you what you have…?
LLAMBI PEÇINI: I have a general weakness, I told you…!
PROSECUTOR RRAPI MINO: Comrade President, we are not at all surprised that such spies, as the defendant Llambi Peçini, are slandering the investigative bodies of this nature, we have also heard from others, I only need to clarify one thing, in this judicial process. In the trial of this counter-revolutionary organization, 11 people participate, 7 here and 4 others. We hear these monstrous slanders against the investigation body only from three, from the defendant Llambi Peçini, from the defendant Kadri Hazbiu and from the defendant Feçor Shehu.
This is the reason that, as you can see, all three of these defendants, all three of these slanderers, are in good health, such as the defendant Llambi Peçini, the defendant Feçor Shehu and the defendant Kadri Hazbiu, who shamelessly accused us here, that his ribs were broken. These are shameless slanderers…! The defendant, Llambi Peçini, is an active member of the counter-revolutionary organization. He is one of the active members of this organization, and this is proven by his hostile activity in the years 1972-1973, when he accompanied the poly-agent Mehmet Shehu. This has created the duties of the liaison, with the American agent, of the poly-agent Mehmet Shehu.
Gani Kodra tried this, Llambi Ziçishti tried it. This has been admitted by the investigator himself; we are leaving them at all…! Also, the defendant Llambi Peçini, being a companion, who accompanied the polyagent Mehmet Shehu on a trip in 1960, was his intermediary, or his companion, to meet with the Yugoslav agency, with the chief agent, with Tito himself with the son of Churchill, the former English prime minister, and with Fultz. But it does not continue only with that, the defendant Llambi Peçini is also a participant in the organization of terror and the military coup, which would be one of the tasks of the organization, for the seizure of power by the enemy Mehmet Shehu.
The role of the defendant Llambi Peçini in the meantime, was the role of a mediator, that at the time when the coup would take place, he, together with other friends, would deal with the arrest and isolation of persons who would become an obstacle to the traitor Mehmet Shehu, for achieving his final objective, for taking over the direction of the party and for eliminating the first secretary.
The question arises, why does he deny such a thing? He denies it because he will remove himself from the chief agent, from the poly-agent, from the chief traitor and from the chairman Mehmet Shehu, because he had his man, the closest, that’s why I say fellow judges, as a conclusion, as a conclusion, that Llambi Peçini , is an active member of the counter-revolutionary organization. But the party cut off the hands of these conspiratorial agents, putschists and terrorists, stopped them in the middle of the road, arrested them, brought them to the accused’s booth, to give an account, before the justice of the people…!
LLAMBI PEÇINI: I did not commit acts of torture, at the time when Koçi Xoxe was the Minister of Internal Affairs, I did so, but less, much less than many others, but it was Koçi’s line. Second, does the prosecutor have any facts?
ARANIT ÇELA: The prosecutor is not asked for facts, nor does he get into a controversy with you.
LLAMBI PECINI: That is not true.
Torture in the cell against Llambi Peçin
In the indictment for Llambi Pečin, it was said that Mehmet Shehu was given three options for Enver Hoxha: accident, assassination attempt in Vlora, and poison with delayed action. The accused called this a lie. Regarding the statements made to the investigator, Llambi says that he made them “under the influence” and they were not true, even though it was 4 months ago that he “declared” that he was innocent. But the prosecutor gets angry, saying that: “he was not surprised by a spy like Llambi Peçini”, or by the statement of Kadri Hazbiu, that; “without a point of shame”, “his ribs were broken”.
The prosecutor goes on the attack, saying that; “these are shameless slanderers”, so the fact that from such people did not matter; “you will also hear such filth”. Llambi asks the prosecutor for facts, saying that; where were the facts as he had tortured others?! The immediate reaction of Aran Çela, who claimed that; the prosecutor was not asked for facts.
After other debates, Llambi turns to Mihallaq, that he; “the favorite of Mehmet Shehu”, he did not even become a minister, deputy minister or member of the Central Committee! While Llambi declares that he was tortured, the prosecutor mocks and says; why did he admit that he was a spy, and not accepts the charge of terror?! Lambi answered that; even if they cut his meat into pieces, he would not admit that he wanted to terrorize Enver Hoxha. Memorie.al
