By Dashnor Kaloçi
Part Three
Memorie.al / From the end of November 1944, when he came to power, until his death in 1985, the communist dictator Enver Hoxha, wanting to resemble his idol, Joseph Visaranovic Stalin, and following his “path”, from time to time undertook purges in the top leadership of the Albanian People’s Liberation Army, which he began with Koci Xoxe (and his group) in 1948-49 and ended in 1981-82, with the so-called “Hostile Group of Mehmet Shehu and Kadri Hazbiu”. In this time interval of more than four decades (he began the purges in 1941), as is now known, he eliminated almost all the founders of the Albanian Communist Party, members of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Albanian People’s Party and the main leaders of the so-called “Anti-Fascist National Liberation War”, so much so that from 1960 until the collapse of the communist regime in 1990, only Pilo Peristeri had escaped prison or exile, enjoying the privileges of a lifelong candidate of the Political Bureau and the function of director of the “Enver Hoxha” Autotractor Combine!
But, unlike what he had done until the beginning of the 70s, where Enver Hoxha’s “sword” had mainly fallen on the senior leadership of the CPSU (Koci Xoxe, Kristo Themelko, Sotir Vullkanim Ramadan Çitaku, Tuk Jakova, Bedri Spahiu, Liri Gega, Gjin Marku, Koço Tashko, Liri Belishova, etc.), whom he had accused of “deviators of the Party line” and had condemned as “traitors and enemies of the people”, in the mid-70s, the dictator Enver Hoxha began to attack several members of the Politburo, who also held ministerial positions, such as Abdyl Këllezi and Koço Theodhosi, accusing them of being “saboteurs” of the Socialist Economy!
And just as he had done with Beqir Balluku, Petrit Dume and Hito Çako, (who were sentenced to death and shot), where to prove “their hostile activity”, Enver Hoxha sentenced to prison and exile a large group of senior officers, as well as the so-called “Saboteur Group of the Economy”, where in addition to Këllez and Theodhos, the two ministers Kiço Ngjela and Vasil Kati were also part, several senior officials of the Trade sector, directors and well-known specialists, such as Andrea Manço, Ahmet Jegeni, Bardhyl Frashëri etc., were also accused and sentenced, as well as of the Oil sector, such as; directors, engineers and well-known specialists, such as; Filip Nashi, Beqir Alija, Koço Plaku, Milto Gjikopulli, Protoko Murati, Dhimitër Stefa, Jani Konomi, Nuredin Skrapari, etc.
As we will see in the documents in question, the investigative process against the so-called “Saboteur Group of the Economy”, which was carried out by the Ministry of Interior and State Security, with fabricated accusations and evidence false or obtained under torture, etc., continued the Supreme Court of the People’s Republic of Albania headed by Aran Çela, “channeling” the accusations also from the “legal” side, to “confirm” what Enver Hoxha had said in the Plenums of the Central Committee of the Albanian People’s Party, against Abdyl Këllez, Koço Theodhos, Kiço Ngjela, Vasil Kati, etc.
As for all of the above, after the 90s, much has been said and written about all of them, both by members of those “groups”, their families, etc., etc., Memorie. al has obtained the archival documents of the Supreme Court of the People’s Republic of Albania of that time and the former Presidium of the People’s Assembly, where the “Hostile Group of the Economy”, “Trade” and “Oil” were examined, which see the light of day for the first time, documents which we are publishing together with the relevant photos and facsimiles.
In the first part and second of this series of articles, we are publishing documents concerning the former director of Makina-import, Andrea Manço, originally from the village of Boboshticë in Korça, whose brother Todo Manço, for years had served as chief engineer and director of the Bulqiza chrome mine, and also for several legislatures in a row as a deputy of the People’s Assembly, who when he passed away on November 6, 1974, was given a magnificent funeral ceremony, with homage in the center of the capital, where, in addition to Enver Hoxha, the entire senior leadership of the Albanian People’s Party, headed by Prime Minister Mehmet Shehu, participated. While Todo Manço, (“Hero of Socialist Labor”) would receive all these honors, his brother, Andrea, about two years later, would be tortured in the cells of the State Security and sentenced to death by firing squad, as an “enemy of the people” and “agent of the secret services” “foreign”, and his grave has not yet been found!
Continued from the previous issue
INCLUDING INDICATION OF THE SUPREME COURT OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA AND DECISION ON THE DEATH SENTENCE, BY SHOOTING, OF THE DIRECTOR OF MACINA-IMPORT, ANDREA MANÇO
PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA
SUPREME COURT
No. 11. Basic Reg.
No. 11 of Decision
DECISION
IN THE NAME OF THE PEOPLE
The Supreme Court of the People’s Republic of Albania, composed of:
Lumturi Resnja, Member of the Supreme Court
Mithat Goskova, Deputy Judge of the Supreme Court
Fehmi Lagreta, Deputy Judge of the Supreme Court
Assisted by the Secretary Sadik Memo, with the participation of the Prosecutor Edmond Sanxhaktari, today, on 20.5.1976, I examined in a closed court session, criminal case No. 11 concerning the defendant.
RELATION
These attitudes and actions of his have weakened the revolutionary vigilance of the employees of Foreign Trade, under whose noses the defendant, with counter-revolutionary intentions, has carried out all these hostile activities.
His statements in this regard, the explanations of witnesses as well as the content of the anonymous letters written by him, the graphic expertise acts that prove that their author was the defendant himself, are indisputable evidence that prove that the defendant Andrea Manço, has fully consumed the crime of agitation and propaganda against the popular government, provided for by Article 73/1 of the Criminal Code.
From the goods that came to the Foreign Trade Machinery-Import sector, from foreign firms or our commercial representations abroad, he has taken with the intention of embezzlement, a quantity of items with the value mentioned above, which were found during the search in his apartment. Many of these gifts, contrary to the government’s decisions, he distributed to his friends and associates, causing the company a damage of 7,252 ALL.
A degenerate and immoral element, he had established intimate relations in the company’s offices with one of his subordinates. In this, this defendant has completely consumed the figure of the crime of abuse of official position, provided for by Article 199/1 of the Criminal Code.
From 1970 to 1974, this defendant traveled abroad 16 times. It was fully established that during these trips he took American dollars from various people, which he took out of the country in violation of the provisions regulating the administration of gold and foreign currency, purchased various items with them and, after bringing them to Albania, hiding them from customs control, distributed them to interested persons, thus committing the crime of qualified smuggling, provided for in paragraph II of Article 91 of the Criminal Code. This crime was also proven by the full statements of the defendant with witnesses and by the seized items.
In imposing a sentence against the defendant Andrea Manço, the court takes into account the extremely high level of danger posed by the acts committed by him as well as the extremely high level of danger posed by the defendant himself.
The relatively long time he has been carrying out this activity, the cynicism and deep hatred for the Party and the people’s power, which have pushed him to commit these hostile acts, have caused significant damage to the interests of the Party and our State in the political, ideological and economic fields.
FOR THESE REASONS
Based on Articles 278-279 of the Criminal Procedure Code, the Court
DETERMINED
- To declare the defendant Andrea Manço guilty of the crime of economic sabotage and, based on Article 72 of the Criminal Code, to sentence him to death by firing squad, with the confiscation of movable and immovable property, with the loss of the right to vote for 5 years and the removal of the decoration of the Order of Labor, Class II.
- To declare him guilty of the crime of agitation and propaganda against the people’s government and, based on Article 73/1 of the Criminal Code, to sentence him to 10 years of imprisonment.
- To declare the defendant Andrea Manço guilty of the crime of embezzlement of socialist property and, based on Article 81 of the Criminal Code, to sentence him to 3 years of imprisonment.
- To declare him guilty of the crime of abuse of official position and, based on Article 199/1 of the Criminal Code, to sentence him to 2 years of imprisonment.
- To declare him guilty of the crime of smuggling as defined and, based on Article 91/II of the Criminal Code, to sentence him to 3 years of imprisonment.
By combining the sentences under Article 48 of the Criminal Code, he is sentenced to death by firing squad, confiscation of movable and immovable property, loss of electoral rights for 5 years and removal of the decoration of the Order of Labor of the 2nd Class.
The convicted person’s legal expenses.
The sentence shall begin to serve from the date of his arrest, on 27. III. 1975.
The decision is final.
It shall not be executed until it is reviewed by the Presidium of the People’s Assembly.
Proclaimed on 20.5.1976
SECRETARY HEAD
Sadik Mema Lumturi Resnja
ARCHIVE DOCUMENT WITH THE PRAYER OF THE DEATH SENTENCED PERSON, ANDREA MANÇO, SENT TO THE PRESIDIUM OF THE PEOPLE’S ASSEMBLY, FOR THE PARABLE OF LIFE
Presidium of the People’s Assembly
Prayer
I, the undersigned Andrea Kristaq Manço, born in the village of Boboshticë, in the district of Korça, on 16.3.1925, after the trial that was held against me by the Supreme Court of the R.P. of Albania, dated 20.5.1976, was sentenced to execution, for very serious crimes, such as sabotage, agitation and propaganda, appropriation of socialist property, and smuggling.
I consider the sentence fair, but considering that I have repented, I have been a war veteran, I am the brother of Todo Manço, and I have two dependent children, please spare my life. Memorie.al
With respect Andrea Manço
Tirana, 21.5.1976
