By Dashnor Kaloçi
Part Two
Memorie.al / Exactly 48 years ago, on May 31, 1977, somewhere on the outskirts of Tirana, in a place that to this day remains undiscovered, a firing squad set up on special orders from the then Minister of the Interior, Kadri Hazbiu, executed with a bullet in the head, Abdyl Këllezin Koço Theodhosin, and Xhavit Sallakun, who had been arrested in 1975, accused by Enver Hoxha, as the main leaders of the “Saboteur Group in the Economy”. Along with Këllezin and Theodhosin, two other ministers, Kiço Ngjela (Minister of Trade) and Vasil Kati (Minister of Foreign Trade), were sentenced to 20 and 15 years in political prison, respectively, and several senior officials from the Ministry of Economy were also sentenced to heavy sentences.
Këllëzi and Theodhosi, former members of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Albanian People’s Party, deputies of the People’s Assembly and deputy prime ministers and ministers for more than three decades, were among the few from the top leadership of the Albanian People’s Party who had studied and graduated in the West, since the period of the Zog Monarchy, and likewise, Ngjela and Vasil Kati, had studied abroad and had returned to Albania immediately after the occupation of the country by fascist Italy, to join the partisan ranks, even with leadership functions. By striking this so-called “hostile saboteur group in the Economy”, Enver Hoxha was striking the “brain of the Economy”, since from the end of the war until that time, Këllez, Theodhosi, Ngjela and Kati, had held key functions of the Albanian economy.
While these things are already very well known, as much has been said and written in the more than three decades since the collapse of the communist regime, Memorie.al has secured several documents belonging to the fund of the former Presidium of the People’s Assembly of the People’s Socialist Republic of Albania, headed by Haxhi Lleshi, who at that time considered the issue of the “Saboteur Group in the Economy”, based on the reports and information reports sent to it by the High Court headed by Aranit Çela, which also conducted the judicial process against that “Group”.
In addition to the above, the documents in question also include the requests of Këllez and Theodhos (in their own handwriting), sent to the Presidium of the People’s Assembly, for the pardon of life, as well as the minutes of the meetings of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly, with the discussions of Enver Hoxha (who also gave the report at the beginning of the meeting) Haxhi Lleshi, Spiro Koleka, Shefqet Peçi (two vice-chairmen of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly), Telo Mezin (secretary of the Presidium), Jovan Bardhi, Muharrem Sefa, Nuredin Hoxha, Pilo Peristeri, Rrapo Dervishi, Spiro Moisiu, Zina Franja and Maliq Sadushi, members of the Presidium, which we will publish in several issues, along with the relevant photos and facsimiles.
Continued from the previous issue
LETTER OF THE FORMER VICE PRIME MINISTER AND MEMBER OF THE POLITICAL BUREAU, KOÇO THEODHOSI, SENT TO THE PRESIDIUM OF THE PEOPLE’S ASSEMBLY, WITH A REQUEST AND PRAYER FOR A PERMISSION OF LIFE
TO THE PRESIDIUM OF THE PEOPLE’S ASSEMBLY OF THE SOCIALIST PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA
TIRANË
These damages are so great and serious that I do not have the courage to mention that during this period, I have also carried out some tasks that were assigned to me and that have served for the good of the people. Being completely repentant, for all the evils that I have done, as I said above, with my head bowed, I beg that Presidium to spare my life. I assure you that as long as I live, I will always be with the line of the Party and the people’s power; I will fight with all my strength, so that my sins become a lesson for my family and relatives.
Long live the Party of Labor of Albania, with its leader at the head, Enver Hoxha.
Long live the people’s power.
The convict
(Koço Theodhosi)
May 17, 1977
LETTER OF THE FORMER DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND MEMBER OF THE POLITICAL BUREAU, AVDYL KËLLEZI, SENT TO THE PRESIDIUM OF THE PEOPLE’S ASSEMBLY, WITH A REQUEST AND PRAYER FOR THE PERMISSION OF LIFE
PRESIDIUM OF THE PEOPLE’S ASSEMBLY
OF THE PEOPLE’S SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA
TIRANA
Request for pardon.
On May 17, 1977, the Supreme Court of the People’s Socialist Republic of Albania, in the name of the people, sentenced me to death for my hostile activity. Since I have accepted my extremely serious crimes and feel deeply remorseful, I have remained silent, so much so that I do not have the courage to count them, I beg the Presidium of the People’s Assembly of the People’s Socialist Republic of Albania to consider my request for pardon.
Respectfully
Abdyl Këllezi
Tirana Prison
May 17, 1977
LETTER FROM THE SECRETARY OF THE PRESIDIUM OF THE PEOPLE’S ASSEMBLY, TELO MEZINI, SENT TO THE PRESIDIUM, WITH THE REPORT OF THE SUPREME COURT, ON THE DEATH SENTENCE OF XHAVIT SALLAKUT, CHIEF ENGINEER OF N.SH.I. BALLSH
PEOPLE’S SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA Secret
PRESIDIUM OF THE PEOPLE’S ASSEMBLY Tirana, 29.4.1977
No. 437/1 Prot.
Sh. ARCHIVE
Enclosed is the material (supplement to the seventh item on the agenda), which will be reviewed at the next meeting of the Presidium of the People’s Assembly, dated May 4, 1977 – The death sentence for XhaviT Sallaku was postponed to the meeting of the Presidium dated May 31, 1977.
SECRETARY OF THE PRESIDIUM
Telo Mezini
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL FOR AGENDA ITEM 7
Death penalty
On 16.4.1977, the Judicial Council of the Criminal College of the High Court upheld the decision of the Fier District Court, for:
Xhavit Ymer Sallaku, born in 1929, born in Tirana and residing in Fier, social origin middle-class civil servant, social status civil servant, expelled from the Party, with higher education, profession engineer, married, has two children, his wife is of Russian nationality, arrested on 27.4.1976, sentenced to death (shooting), for the crime of treason against the Fatherland, economic sabotage and agitation and propaganda against the popular government.
The case materials show that:
Xhavit Sallaku, being a student in the Soviet Union, in the city of Leningrad at the Institute of Construction, in 1951 was put in the service of Soviet intelligence by the supervising professor Pavel Mihailovich. From 1951 to 1954, after he finished his studies, he provided Soviet intelligence with data on the views and attitudes of foreign and Soviet students towards the Soviet authorities. Thus, he denounced a Korean student who had said that “the Soviet Union has not helped North Korea enough”, a Mongolian student who had stated that; “there is a lack of meat in Mongolia, since the Soviet Union takes it”, etc.
In 1954, when he was about to leave the Soviet Union, he was instructed by the supervising professor not to interrupt his relations with Soviet intelligence, and the data from then on would be given to Valentina Peza, married to an Albanian student, Bukurosh Peza. Xhavit Sallaku, from 1954 to 1959, sent Pavel Mihailovich data on the works and work done by engineers who had graduated with him in the USSR.
In 1959, after Valentina Peza left Albania, she met in Tirana the advisor of the Soviet embassy, Novikov, and established contact with him, giving him highly secret state information on the constructions being carried out in our country, the funds, the completion dates, etc. Upon his departure from Albania, Novikov left it to the judge to maintain contact with a person with the pseudonym “Selim Muço”, who would introduce himself with the slogan “The five-pointed star greets you”, while Xhaviti would respond; “Erzeni greets you”.
In January – February 1962, at the time when he was vice-chairman of the Executive Committee of the Communist Party of Albania, of the Tirana District, the enemy of the people, Piro Gusho, called him on the phone and told him that he would go to his office, about a housing problem and when he went to his office, he told him that he was Selim Muçoja, gave him the slogan and after receiving the counter-slogan, told him that from now on, they would work together. From this time and until the enemy Piro Gusho committed suicide, the defendant gave him various information, of a markedly secret nature, such as: on constructions, investments for constructions, on the character of the buildings that were being built, on the economic situation of the Tirana district, on the people’s opinions towards Soviet revisionism, etc.
From 1965 to 1968, he cut ties with Piro Gusho, due to the conviction of his two brothers for the crime of treason against the Fatherland. And these connections were reestablished again in 1968, when the defendant gave Pirro Gusho information on the constructions that were being carried out in Berat. With the help and request of Pirro Gusho, in September 1971, he was transferred from Tirana to Fier, with the duty of director of NSHI Ballsh. During the construction of this work, this enemy, in addition to the duty of Soviet espionage, also committed the crime of sabotage and agitation and propaganda against the people’s power.
By implementing the tasks assigned by the Soviet agent Piro Gusho, he, with counter-revolutionary intent, postponed the deadlines for the completion of the work, acted contrary to the requirements of the project, and did not build warehouses for the storage and preservation of materials according to the rules. As a result of these actions, socialist property was damaged in large proportions, and the cost of wine increased from the 251 million lek that was predicted to 325 million lek. He has spread the spirit of debauchery and liberalism and has stimulated Yugoslav self-administration. In many cases he has sold materials in violation of the laws to agricultural cooperatives and private individuals.
All of this, as he himself has claimed, he has done with the aim of damaging the economic base, causing an effective damage to socialist property, amounting to 299,984 lek. In addition to the above, he has agitated and propagated against the revolutionary measures taken by the Party, has boasted about the political course pursued by the Soviet Union, has committed such actions that have discredited the friendship of our people with the Chinese people, has cursed the main leaders of the Party, etc. He has ignored the opinion of the working class and has relied mainly on technocratic people with a bad political make-up.
His guilt has been proven by the statements of witnesses, other documents, and his full statements made both during the investigation and during the trial of the case, in the first instance. In the Supreme Court, he claimed that his statements to the investigator and the court of first instance were not true, seeking punishment only for the fact that he made false statements. The acts he committed pose a significant social danger, and his own person also poses such a danger. He has two brothers who have been convicted of crimes against the state. The convict himself has not made any requests for clemency. –
RELATION OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE SUPREME COURT, ARAN ÇELA, SENT TO THE PRESIDIUM OF THE PEOPLE’S ASSEMBLY, WITH THE DECISION ON THE UPHOLDING OF THE DEATH SENTENCE OF XHAVIT SALLAKUT BY THE FIER DISTRICT COURT
SOCIALIST PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA
SUPREME COURT
No. 27, Prot.
Tirana, 28.4.1971
PRESIDIUM OF THE PEOPLE’S ASSEMBLY
No.445 0.28-477
TIRANA
Attached to this letter, we send you a copy of decision No. 121 dated 16.4.1977, of the Judicial Council of the Criminal College of the Supreme Court, which decided to leave in force decision No. 67, dated 25.3.1977, of the Fier District Court, which imposed the death penalty, by firing squad, on Xhavit Imer Sallaku, born in 1929, a clerk, expelled from the party, arrested on 27.4.1976, for the crime of treason against the Fatherland in the form of espionage, sabotage of the socialist economy and agitation and propaganda against the People’s Government, provided for by articles 64, 72 and 73/I of the Criminal Code, as well as the relevant report. The convict did not file a request for clemency.
HEAD
Aranit Çela
Report
The People’s Court of the Fier District, with decision No. 67, dated 25. 11. 1977, has declared guilty and sentenced Xhavit Sollaku, son of Imer and Merjema, born in Tirana in 1929 and resident in Fier, of social origin middle-class civil servant, of Albanian nationality and citizenship, of social status middle-class civil servant, has higher education, by profession engineer, married with two children, expelled from the party, decorated with the 3rd class order, for distinguished state and social services, arrested on 27.4.1976, for the crime of treason against the Fatherland, based on Article 64 of the Criminal Code, with death by execution by shooting, for sabotage, based on Article 72, with death, by execution by shooting and for agitation and propaganda, based on Paragraph I of Article 73 of the Criminal Code, with 9 (nine) years of deprivation of liberty, finally joining the crimes, on the basis of Article 48 of the Criminal Code, sentenced him to death, by execution by firing squad.
From the materials in the file and administered by the Court, it has resulted and proven that the defendant, as a person with a bourgeois-revisionist worldview, in 1951, while being a student in the Soviet Union, in the city of Leningrad, the Institute of Construction, was put at the service of Soviet Intelligence, through the supervising professor, Pavel Mikhailovich. From 1951–1954, after he finished his studies, the defendant provided Soviet Intelligence with data on the views and attitudes of foreign and Soviet students towards the Soviet authorities. Thus, he denounced a Korean student who had said that: “The Soviet Union has not helped North Korea enough”, a Mongolian student who had stated that; “there is no meat in Mongolia, since the Soviet Union takes it”, etc.
In 1954, when the defendant was about to leave the Soviet Union, he was instructed by the supervising professor not to interrupt his relations with the Soviet Intelligence, and that from now on, he would give the information through Valentina Peza, a Soviet woman married to the Albanian student, Bukurosh Peza. The defendant Xhavit Sollaku, from 1954 to 1959, sent Pavel Mihailovich information on the works and work done by the engineers who had completed their studies with him in the Soviet Union. In 1959, when Valentina Peza left Albania, the defendant was put in touch with the resident of the Soviet Intelligence in Albania, Novikov. The defendant gave Novikov highly classified state information on the constructions that were being carried out in our country, the funds, the completion dates, etc.
With the exposure of Soviet revisionism by the Albanian People’s Party and the breakdown of relations with the Soviet Union, Novikov left, leaving the defendant in charge of maintaining contact with a person with the pseudonym Selim Muço, who would introduce himself with the slogan, “The five-pointed star greets you”, while the defendant would reply; “Erzeni greets you”. In January – February 1962, the defendant was called by his enemy Piro Gusho and told him that he would go to his office, about a housing problem and when he went to his office, at the time when the defendant was deputy chairman of the Executive Committee of the Communist Party of Tirana district, he told him that he was the person with the pseudonym Selim Muço, gave him the slogan and after receiving the counter-slogan, told him that from now on, they would work together.
From this time until the enemy Piro Gusho committed suicide, the defendant gave him various information on constructions, investments for constructions, on the character of the buildings that were being built, on the economic situation of the Tirana district, on the opinions of our people towards Soviet revisionism, etc. All information was of a strictly secret nature. From 1965 to 1968, the defendant, due to the conviction of his two brothers for the crime of treason against the Fatherland, severed ties with Piro Gusho. And these ties were reestablished in 1968, when the defendant began to give Piro Gusho information on the constructions that were being carried out in Berat, on the character of these constructions, etc. With the help and request of Piro Gusho, the defendant Xhavit Sollaku, on September 8, 1971, was transferred from Tirana to Fier, with the duty of director of the NSHI Ballsh.
During the construction of this work, the defendant, in addition to the tasks of Soviet espionage, also committed the crime of sabotage and that of agitation and propaganda against the people’s government. By carrying out the tasks assigned by the Soviet agent, Piro Gusho, the defendant with counter-revolutionary intent, postponed the deadlines for the completion of the work on the work, acted contrary to the requirements of the projects, did not build warehouses for the storage and preservation of materials according to the rules. As a result of these actions, socialist property was damaged to a large extent. He built useless buildings without the approval of the investor, paid workers more, spread the spirit of debauchery and liberalism and stimulated Yugoslav self-administration. In many cases, he sold materials in violation of the laws and allowed his subordinates to administer socialist property without criteria and sell or give it to agricultural cooperatives, as well as private individuals. All these actions, as he himself has claimed, have been done with the intention of damaging the economic basis of our social order.
With these actions, he has caused effective damage to socialist property, amounting to 299,984 lekë. The defendant, in addition to the above, has agitated and propagated against the revolutionary measures taken by the party, for the revolutionization of the entire life of our country, has boasted of the political course pursued by the Soviet Union, has committed such actions that have discredited the friendship of our people with the Chinese people, has insulted the main leaders of the Party, etc. In order to achieve his hostile goal, the defendant has spread the spirit of liberalism, has distorted and failed to implement the Party’s directives, has violated the laws of the state, has not held subordinates accountable and has deliberately stimulated methods of self-administration. This liberal spirit, he has introduced into all the employees of the administration and the engineering and technical personnel.
On the other hand, he has ignored the opinions of the working class and has relied mainly on technocrats and people with bad political composition. Under these conditions, the defendant Xhavit Sollaku, as an enemy, has seriously damaged the political and economic basis of our social order. The acts that he has committed represent a significant social danger, such a danger is also represented by his own person. He has acted as an enemy for a very long time, has given the Soviet Intelligence important information on the political, economic and military problems of our country. He has seriously damaged socialist property. There are two brothers convicted of crimes against the state. Based on what was said above, the Judicial Council of the Criminal College of the Supreme Court has left the decision of the Fier district court in force. /Memorie.al
Continued in the next issue
