By Dashnor Kaloçi
Part Nineteen
Memorie.al / Exactly 43 years ago, on the morning 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 bullet from a pistol) in the villa where he lived with his family, at the entrance of the “Block” of the high leadership of the Albanian Party of Labor, just a few meters from the building of the Central Committee of the Albanian Party of Labor and also from Enver Hoxha’s villa. Although more than four decades have passed since that day, considered one of the most serious and notorious events of that regime, there is still no clear and accurate version regarding what happened to the former Albanian Prime Minister Mehmet Shehu on the night leading to December 18, 1981! However, even after the 1990s, dozens of testimonies and archival documents have been made public regarding that event, “the murder or suicide of Mehmet Shehu,” which continues to be the subject of numerous debates and discussions, even wrapping it further in mystery around the truth.
Based on this fact, in the context of publishing dozens of testimonies and files with archival documents from the secret fund of the former State Security and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, or the Central Committee of the Albanian Party of Labor, which we have published over the decades since the collapse of Enver Hoxha’s communist regime and his successor, Ramiz Alia, Memorie.al has secured the voluminous file “of the enemy Mehmet Shehu,” which has been extracted from the secret fund of the former State Security at the Ministry of Internal Affairs (now part of the fund of the Authority for Information on the Documents of the former State Security), where, with a few minor exceptions, most of them have never seen the light of publication and are made public for the first time in full.
In the mentioned file, there are the relevant facsimiles, the expert report of the investigative-operational group that was set up immediately on the morning of December 18, 1981, led by Koço Josifi (head of the Investigative Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Tirana), the forensic doctors Dr. Fatos Hartito and Docent Bashkim Çuberi, the prime minister’s doctors, Milto Kostaqi and Llesh Rroku, as well as the criminalist expert from the Central Criminalistic Laboratory of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Estref Myftari, assisted by high officials of that ministry, Xhule Çiraku, Elham Gjika, and Lahedin Bardhi.
Also, in the voluminous file that we are making public, there are testimonies from the family members of former Prime Minister Mehmet Shehu, from the service personnel, and his escort group, as well as from all other individuals who were summoned and testified about that event. Moreover, the documents in question, which we are publishing along with the facsimiles and relevant photos, provide more information regarding this matter.
However, even though we are dealing only with archival documents, it should be emphasized that; knowing how that system operated before the ’90s, we cannot claim absolute truth regarding what is written there, as not only from the individuals who provided their testimonies, but also from the investigators of this case, it has been made known that the testimonies were obtained under pressure, intimidation, and physical and psychological violence, with some investigators going so far as to write them themselves while the witnesses or defendants merely signed them.
Continued from the previous issue
ARCHIVAL DOCUMENT, WITH THE PROTOCOL OF THE INTERROGATION OF BAKI SEJDIN HAKRAMA, OFFICER OF THE ESCORT GROUP OF FORMER PRIME MINISTER MEHMET SHEHU, BY THE INVESTIGATORS OF THE MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS, SOKOL KOLEKA AND BASHKIM CAKA
P R O T O C O L
(OF THE WITNESS INTERROGATION)
Today, on the date 19.6.1983, in Tirana
We, the investigators of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Sokol Koleka and Bashkim Caka, are taking testimony from Baki Hakrama.
- Name, father’s name, surname: Baki Sejdin Hakrama.
- Date of birth (day, month, year): 1950 in Pezë.
- Education: Secondary (8-month course for officers).
- Place of residence: Tirana, Neighborhood No. 8, “Lidhja e Prizrenit” Street, Building 16, Staircase 6.
- Position: Officer in the Second Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
- Party membership: Not a party member.
- Criminal record: Not convicted.
- Identification number: ———-.
- Relationship with the accused: No family ties.
The investigator warned me about criminal responsibility, based on Article 202 of the Penal Code, for false testimony.
SIGNATURE OF THE WITNESS
Baki Hakrama
In connection with the matter, I can state the following:
Since 1975, until the enemy Mehmet Shehu killed himself, I served as a guard officer at Mehmet Shehu’s house. Initially, we, the guard officers stationed at the main entrance of Mehmet Shehu’s house, depended on the residential area of the leadership.
Then, starting in 1980, if I remember correctly, from October 20 or November, until the day Mehmet Shehu committed suicide, by order of the Minister of Internal Affairs, we began to be overseen by the escort group of Mehmet Shehu, of which Ali Çeno was the group leader. We served there for six-hour shifts with breaks………………………………………..!
During my service at this house, I noticed that they all, especially in recent years, lived a degenerate lifestyle, behaved like princes, insulted and threatened with imprisonment, came home drunk in the evening, dressed in extravagant fashion, where in many cases, they exposed their naked bodies (the women), etc. These things made a significant impression on us, and we discussed them with each other and informed Ali Çeno about everything as the group leader.
In recent years, Ismail and Elena Kadare, Bujar Lako, Edmond Budina, Rikard Ljarja, etc. came to Mehmet Shehu’s house. From his family circle, Duro Shehu, with his family, Mehmet Shehu’s brother who lives in Fier, and his son Tanush Shyti with his daughters, the barber from “Dajti,” Xhavit, the pharmacist Bardha Meta, the gynecologist Skënder Pogoni, Llambi Peçini, Gani Kodra, and Agim Çaushi have also come.
The aforementioned persons visited until recently, and when they came, we would notify those in charge at Mehmet Shehu’s house, whereas when Qamil Peshqeshi, Fejzo Bijo came, who often visited at any time, they entered the house unannounced, as Ali Çeno and Jonuz Luto had ordered us…………………………………………….!
Among the individuals who frequently came to Mehmet Shehu’s house were also Llambi Ziçishti and Nesti Nase, while he always conversed with Kadri Hazbiu while walking along the road between his house and Party House No. 1.
Recently, Marjeta caught up with a friend who, in 1981, got engaged to our group’s officer, Dashamir Rrabaj, and immediately after that, in July, Dashamir went to Italy to accompany Bashkim Shehu. Mehmet Shehu designated Dashamir to be involved with the films that were being made about him……………………………………….!
I remember that shortly after two years from the VII Congress of the Party of Labor of Albania, Raul Marko and 11 other people came for dinner at Mehmet Shehu’s house, where no one else was received besides the Shehu family……………………………!
Mehmet and Fiqrete Shehu kept Ali Çeno and Jonuz Luto very close. Jonuz was Fiqrete’s favorite, and Mehmet Shehu brought him closer during the summer of 1979, when Mehmet Shehu’s villa in Durrës was completed and construction began in Tirana. As for Ali Çeno, the enemy Mehmet Shehu always kept him close and allowed him the freedom to do whatever he wanted in his name. Ali Çeno also spoke very highly of Mehmet Shehu, saying he was a great man, etc.
In recent years, Mehmet Shehu took him abroad several times to accompany his children. In this context, both Ali Çeno and Jonuz Luto and Fejzo Bijo benefited many things in his name and that of the Reception Directorate, which did not belong to them, in addition to eating and drinking for free whenever they pleased.
They also addressed the packages they received from abroad in the names of Ali Çeno, Jonuz Luto, and Fejzo Bijo, and then these contraband goods were divided among themselves. With Ali Çeno, enemy Mehmet Shehu only had private conversations, both in Mehmet Shehu’s house and on the balcony or in the courtyard while walking.
The significant closeness of Ali Çeno to this enemy became particularly evident during the breakup of Skënder Shehu’s engagement with Silva Turdi, where Ali expressed remorse for Mehmet Shehu. At that time, Mehmet Shehu sent Ali Çeno to Sweden to supposedly accompany Skënder Shehu, who was feeling down, although Gani Kodra was also with him.
I remember that even when Ali Çeno went to Paris in 1980 and when he went to Sweden in 1981, he had private conversations with Mehmet Shehu, both inside the house and in the courtyard of the house……………………………………………!
Recently, after the breakup of Skënder Shehu’s engagement with Silva Turdi, Mehmet Shehu and his family members had become like wet chickens; they would converse in the evening on the veranda or in the courtyard of the house, especially Mehmet Shehu with Fiqrete Shehu, but also Bardha with Vladimir, etc………………!
On December 12-13, 1981, around 18:00 – 19:00, Nesti Nase arrived at Mehmet Shehu’s house and was allowed inside by Ali Çeno……………………………………………….!
On December 16, 1981, around 19:00, Feçor Shehu came to Mehmet Shehu’s house, whom Ali Çeno also allowed inside………………………………………………..!
In both cases, Ali was waiting for these individuals, and in the case of Feçor Shehu, he told me that he would visit Mehmet Shehu, Feçor Shehu, and when he arrived, to inform me to let him in. And I did this; when Feçor Shehu entered through the garden, approaching the guard post where I was, I notified Ali Çeno, who came and accompanied Feçor Shehu inside the house…………………………….!
Recently, by order of Ali Çeno, who claimed it was Mehmet Shehu’s order, only a few small lights were kept on at night in the courtyard of Mehmet Shehu’s house, and from November 1981 until Mehmet Shehu’s suicide, the keys to the side door of the house, which we guard officers held, were left in the service officers’ room, where one of the officers who was on duty there was supposed to keep them.
I must emphasize that Ali Çeno never slept in the officers’ room at night; as the group leader, he did not stay on duty at night, except for rare occasions when Mehmet Shehu specifically requested it…………………………………..!
On December 17, 1981, Astrit Veliu and Pëllumb Rustua asked Ali if they wanted to play ball the next day, to which Ali replied, “No, can’t you see what’s happening?!”
On December 17, 1981, in the service group, I was the guard officer from 08:00 to 14:00, Petrit Dema from 14:00 to 20:00, Astrit Veliu from 20:00 to 02:00, and Asim Bejo from 02:00 to 08:00………………..!
As far as I was on duty, I know that Mehmet Shehu went that morning to the meeting of the Political Bureau. The next day, on December 18, 1981, I came to work in the morning and learned that Mehmet Shehu had committed suicide.
There I also heard Ali Çeno say, “Mehmet Shehu killed himself because he was a man of pride” ………………………..!
I have read the protocol, and my statements are true, and I sign………………………………! /Memorie.al
Witness Investigators
Baki Hakrama Bashkim Caka Sokol Koleka
To be continued in the next issue
