From Dashnor Kaloçi
Part Four
Memorie.al / Forty-three years ago, at the dawn of December 18, 1981, the Albanian Prime Minister Mehmet Shehu, who had held that position since 1953, was found dead in his bedroom (according to the official version, from a pistol bullet) in the villa where he lived with his family, at the entrance of the “Block” of the high leadership of the PPSH, just a few meters from the building of the Central Committee of the PPSH, and also from Enver Hoxha’s villa. Although more than four decades have passed since that day, considered one of the most serious and publicized events of that regime, even today, there is still no clear and accurate version regarding what happened to the former Albanian Prime Minister, Mehmet Shehu, in the night leading to December 18, 1981! However, even after the ’90s, dozens of testimonies and archival documents have been made public regarding that event, “the murder or suicide of Mehmet Shehu,” which continues to be a subject of numerous debates and discussions, shrouding the truth about it in even more mystery!
Given this fact, in the framework of publishing dozens of testimonies and archival documents from the secret fund of the former State Security and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, or even the Central Committee of the PPSH, which we have published in these three decades after the collapse of the communist regime of Enver Hoxha and his successor, Ramiz Alia, Memorie.al has obtained the voluminous file of “the enemy Mehmet Shehu,” which was extracted from the secret fund of the former State Security (under the Ministry of Internal Affairs), where, with a few exceptions, most of them have never seen the light of publication and are published for the first time.
In the mentioned file, full and with relevant facsimiles, is the act-expertise of the operational-investigative group, which was established immediately on the morning of December 18, 1981, led by Koço Josifi (head of the Investigation of the Directorate of Internal Affairs of Tirana), the legal doctors Dr. Fatos Hartito and Docent Bashkim Çuberi, the Prime Minister’s doctors, Milto Kostaqi and Llesh Rroku, as well as the criminal expert from the Central Criminalistics Laboratory of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Estref Myftari, assisted by senior officials of that ministry, Xhule Çiraku, Elham Gjika, and Lahedin Bardhi.
Additionally, in the voluminous file that we are making public, are the testimonies of the family members of former Prime Minister Mehmet Shehu, service personnel, and his escort group, as well as all other persons who were summoned and testified regarding that event. For more about this, the mentioned documents will inform you, which we are publishing along with the relevant facsimiles and photos.
CONTINUED FROM THE LAST ISSUE
THE ARCHIVAL DOCUMENT OF THE TECHNICAL-BALISTIC AND DACTYLOSCOPIC EXPERTISE REPORT OF THE PISTOL, SHELLS, AND PROJECTILE FOUND IN THE BEDROOM OF CITIZEN MEHMET ISMAIL SHEHU, BY THE HEAD OF INVESTIGATION KOÇO JOSIFI
The mattress, sheets, blanket, and two pillows were the same as those found at the scene. They were placed in the same position as they were at the moment of the investigation of the scene. The four present witnesses, comrades Lahedin Bardhi, Ali Çeno, Milto Kostaqi, and Llesh Rroku, were positioned:
In the bedroom where Fiqrete Shehu slept, located 10 meters away from Mehmet Shehu’s bedroom, witness Llesh Rroku, together with comrades Xhule Çiraku and Bashkim Çuberi, at the end of the second corridor, which is 16 meters away from Mehmet Shehu’s bedroom, was positioned witness Milto Kostaqi, together with comrade Elham Gjika, at the entrance door of the courtyard of Mehmet Shehu’s house, where the service officer stood, located 20 meters away from the wall of the bedroom where Mehmet Shehu slept, was positioned witness Lahedin Bardhi, in the room where the service officers slept, approximately 23 meters away from the wall of Mehmet Shehu’s bedroom, was positioned witness Ali Çeno together with Koço Josifi.
For the purpose of the shooting, the pistol BP. No. 29-35, caliber 9 mm., which belonged to Mehmet Shehu and was found at the scene during the investigation, and a combat cartridge from the ammunition found in the magazine of this pistol was used. The time of the shot was set at 0:15, dated 29.12.1981, with criminal expert Estref Myftari charged with executing the shot.
At the designated time, after all the witnesses had taken their positions, the shot was fired at a piece of meat from a distance, with incomplete contact, in the same direction as that which Mehmet Shehu had used to commit suicide.
After this action, the witnesses were called individually, who stated: Witness Llesh Rroku, who was positioned in the room where Fiqrete Shehu slept, explained: “I heard a faint, muffled sound of indeterminate origin, not disturbing, and had I been asleep, I would not have heard it.”
Witness Milto Kostaqi, who was positioned at the end of the second corridor, explained: “I heard a faint, muffled sound, of indeterminate origin.”
Witness Lahedin Bardhi, who was positioned at the gate of Mehmet Shehu’s house courtyard, explained: “I heard a shot similar to that of a firearm.”
Witness Ali Çeno, who was positioned in the room where the service officers slept, declared: “I heard a faint, muffled sound, which had I been asleep, I would not have heard, and it would not have woken me.”
After the investigative experiment was carried out, the path of the bullet was traced, and it was found that after traversing the layer of meat, both pillows, and the blanket, it was embedded in the mattress, while the shell was found on the left side of the bed, near the place where, according to the explanations of witnesses Llesh Rroku and Milto Kostaqi, the shell was found by them at the scene when they entered Mehmet Shehu’s bedroom, after he had shot himself.
From the examination of the entrance hole of the experimental shot, on the shirt and the perforation line projected by the bullet throughout its path, it was concluded that they have the same characteristics as the entrance hole and the trajectory of the bullet with which Mehmet Shehu had shot himself. Necessary photographs were taken at the scene where the investigative experiment was conducted.
The minutes, after being read, were signed by those present:
Experts Investigator
Dr. Bashkim Çuberi Koço Josifi
Present
Lahedin Bardhi, Milto Kostaqi, Ali Çeno, Llesh Rroku
Present
Elham Gjika, Xhule Çiraku
ARCHIVAL DOCUMENT WITH THE MINUTES OF QUESTIONING OF MEHMET SHEHU’S ELDEST SON, VLADIMIR, BY THE HEAD OF THE INVESTIGATION OF THE TIRANA DIRECTORATE OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS, KOÇO JOSIFI
Minutes
(Testimony)
Tirana, December 18, 1981
I, Koço Josifi, investigator of the Directorate of Internal Affairs Tirana, questioned as a witness Vladimir Shehu, son of Mehmet and Fiqrete, born in 1944, living in Tirana, Neighborhood No. 8, with a higher education.
The witness was warned about the criminal responsibility he bears, according to the article of the Penal Code.
THE WITNESS
VLADIMIR SHEHU
Today, on December 18, 1981, at around 7:00 AM, I went to work at the Institute of Mechanical Studies and Designs, in the Electronics sector. I arrived at work around 7:20 AM and since I did not find a material I needed there, I called my wife Fatbardha Shehu and asked her to see if I had the material at home, in the room. After she checked, she told me that I had it there.
Then I immediately left for home, where I arrived around 7:40 AM. I knew that my father should wake up at 8:00 AM, so at 7:55 AM, I told my mother to go check and wake him up. My mother went while my wife, Fatbardha Shehu, and I stayed in my mother’s room, which is opposite my father’s room, on the second floor.
As soon as my mother entered my father’s room, she immediately returned to our room and told us; “Father has killed himself.” As far as I remember, after my mother told us this news, my wife Fatbardha Shehu entered my father’s bedroom, I believe that my mother went in with Fatbardha, and they both immediately came outside.
I immediately took them and brought them to my room, and after leaving them there, I went to my father’s bedroom and saw that he was lying in bed. I quickly went out and notified Ali Çeno via intercom.
After notifying Ali, I entered the room again, put my hand on his forehead, and saw that he had cold sweats. I lifted the blanket and saw the wound on his right arm, I saw a pistol, and on the head of the bed, a letter.
At that moment, Ali Çeno arrived, followed by the doctors and other friends. The friends who arrived told me to take that letter which was at the head of the bed.
I took it and placed it in the wardrobe of my room. Later, I handed it over to the Party comrades. I have nothing else to say. I read the minutes and saw that my statements were written correctly, and I signed it.
INVESTIGATOR WITNESS
KOÇO JOSIFI VLADIMIR SHEHU
ARCHIVAL DOCUMENT WITH THE MINUTES OF QUESTIONING OF FATBARDHA SHYTI SHEHU, WIFE OF MEHMET SHEHU’S ELDEST SON, BY THE HEAD OF THE TIRANA INVESTIGATION, KOÇO JOSIFI
Minutes
(Testimony)
Tirana, December 20, 1981
I, Koço Josifi, Head of the Investigation Department at the Directorate of Internal Affairs Tirana, in the presence of comrade Elham Gjika, questioned as a witness, citizen Fatbardha Shehu, daughter of Tanushi and Sute, born in 1949, living in Tirana, Neighborhood No. 10, Bajram Curri Street, with higher education, an engineer at the Ministry of Defense. The witness was warned about the criminal responsibility she bears, according to Article 202 of the Penal Code.
Witness
Fatbardha Shehu
After being questioned regarding the matter, she declared:
On December 17, 1981, I, along with Mehmet and Fiqrete Shehu, had lunch together; I don’t remember the time, but I know he had returned from a meeting he had attended. I remember that the three of us had lunch. I don’t recall if there were other family members for lunch. As far as I remember, after we finished lunch, I went to my bedroom, while Mehmet and Fiqrete Shehu went upstairs to their bedrooms, which are close to each other.
After this incident, I did not see Mehmet Shehu again, and I do not know when he returned home that evening since I did not see it myself, but I was told that he returned after 8:00 PM. I say this because around 8:00 PM on December 17, 1981, the other family members had dinner, except for Fiqrete, and around 8:15 PM, I went upstairs to my bedroom with my daughter.
I put my daughter to sleep and stayed lying down myself because I was sick, and I was watching the television that I had in the room. After a while, Vladimir came into the room, and we stayed together watching television. Around 11:00-11:30 PM, Fiqrete Shehu came into our room and told Vladimir and me that she was going to sleep, while Mehmeti would work late because he had work to do. We asked her what kind of work he had since he went to bed late, and why didn’t he go to sleep as well?!
Fiqrete told us that he had work and instructed us not to disturb him since he couldn’t concentrate when someone entered his room. She told me to wake him up the next morning at 8:00 AM. After this, Fiqrete left our room, saying she was going to her room to sleep. Vladimir and I continued to stay, watching television and reading a book, since I, being sick, had insomnia and concerns from my pregnancy.
After some time, it must have been around 12:30 AM on December 18, 1981; Vladimir and I told each other that we should go and check what Mehmet Shehu was doing, if he had fallen asleep or not, and what kind of work he was doing that was keeping him up so late?! After this, we both got up and continued down the corridor, and when we reached the elevator, we saw through the last crack of the door of Mehmet Shehu’s study on the second floor that there was light.
We thought he was still working and debated whether we should go or not and tell him why he was staying up so late and why he didn’t go to sleep. Thinking that he might tell us why we were disturbing him, we shouldn’t bother him, and that we should go to sleep, we didn’t go to his study at all but went to our room and slept instead. As far as I remember, on December 18, 1981, I woke up from sleep at 6:30 AM. I also remember that after we returned from the bedroom with Vladimir, we turned off the light, and it wasn’t long before I fell asleep.
Also, Vladimir slept with me, and he woke up on the morning of December 18, 1981, at around the same time I woke him up. I clarify that Vladimir and I went to see if Mehmet Shehu had gone to sleep or not, only out of our concern, since Fiqrete had told us that he would stay up late to work. When we went to check, there was no movement in the corridor. After getting up from bed, Vladimir prepared to go to work, while I got my daughter ready for school, which I took around 7:30 AM. I then went to Fiqrete Shehu’s bedroom to check on her, as she had been complaining for about two days that she was feeling unwell.
When I opened the door to Fiqrete’s bedroom, which was unlocked, she turned on the lamp she had at the head of her bed. I asked her how she was, and she told me that she was fine and asked if I had seen if Mehmet had gotten up. I told her that he should be up because I saw light in the studio when I passed by in the corridor and came to you. Fiqrete got up, left her room, and went to the door of Mehmet Shehu’s study, which is adjacent to her bedroom, and turned the handle to open the door, but the door was locked.
Then she called him twice by name, but no one answered. Fiqrete then said to me, as I was sitting in the living room of Fiqrete and Mehmet’s bedroom, that perhaps Mehmet forgot to turn off the light and was sleeping. I told her that Vladimir had called me from his workplace and asked if he had left any information in his bag since he needed it for the Party Committee. After checking the bag and finding the information, I told Vladimir that he had left his information there.
He told me he would come to pick it up since he thought he had left the information at work. After this phone conversation with Vladimir, I went back to Fiqrete Shehu’s bedroom, and we continued to stay there, Fiqrete lying in bed while I was sitting in an armchair that was in the room. Not long after, perhaps around 7:55 AM, Vladimir came into the room where I was with Fiqrete. Vladimir asked us what we were doing, and we told him we were waiting for 8:00 AM to wake Mehmet up.
Vladimir told us to wake him up now since the hour had passed, and it wouldn’t hurt anything. After this, Fiqrete left her bedroom and went to Mehmet’s room to open the door, and within a minute, she emerged in the middle of the corridor, raising her hands toward both of us, and said: “It’s over.” After that, I came out of Fiqrete’s bedroom and entered Mehmet Shehu’s bedroom, thinking that he was in the study; I didn’t look at his bed and went directly into the study, while Fiqrete and Vladimir entered directly into the bedroom and were standing by Mehmet Shehu’s bed.
There I heard Fiqrete saying, “What happened, what happened?!” I turned from the study to the bedroom, and on the bed, I saw Mehmet Shehu lying there with a yellow face, and I did not see anything else. This happened after Vladimir immediately took me outside, and then I went to Fiqrete’s bedroom. I heard that Vladimir notified the doctors and officers to come. I did not enter Mehmet Shehu’s bedroom again, nor do I know what happened next with the people who came into the room. Memorie.al
Continues in the next issue