Dashnor Kaloçi
Memorie.al publishes the unknown history of the financial control that the government of Prime Minister Ahmet Zogu did, just two weeks after he came to power, at the end of December 1924, where it resulted that a large number of high-ranking government officials Prime Minister Fan Noli, starting with himself personally, had committed various financial wastes and abuses, in large amounts. The results of that control were given by the Press Office of Prime Minister Ahmet Zogu and they were published by “GAZET’ e KORÇA” dated January 16, 1925, giving the names, functions and amounts of the abuses that had been made by 53 high officials of the government of Nolit, as ministers, deputies, prefects, municipal clerks, senior military officers, even his personal driver…?!
On January 16, 1925, the Press Office of the Prime Minister issued a press release announcing the results of an investigation by the relevant authorities regarding financial waste and abuse by the government of Prime Minister Fan Nolit and a large part of his senior officials. According to the financial control, it turned out that the abuses were committed by the Prime Minister himself, Noli, as well as some of his high-ranking officials, such as ministers, deputies, prefects, vice-prefects, soldiers, municipal officials, and even ordinary employees, including his driver. All these were made public in the press and the first to publish it was “GAZET’ e KORÇA”, dated January 16, 1925, which we are publishing, summarizing it in the table below.
The announcement was made by the press office of Prime Minister Ahmet Zogu
Accused government officials: from Prime Minister Fan Noli to his driver
In the announcement made by the press office of the Prime Minister Ahmet Zogu, which was published in “GAZET’ E KORÇËS”, dated January 16, 1925, a list of 53 governors and high officials of the state administration, accused of embezzlement, is given and illegal benefits in large sums of money, from the state coffers. At the top of that list stands Prime Minister Fan Noli himself, who is accused of having benefited from an amount of 300 gold francs, from the expenses of his car as Prime Minister. After Fan Noli, that list also includes some of his cabinet members, such as the Minister of the Interior, Xhemal Bushati; Foreign Minister, Sulejman Delvina; the Minister of Education, Qazim Koculi and Stavro Vinjahu, who are accused of having benefited large sums from the state budget.
After the members of Noli’s cabinet, the list continues with other government officials and lower-ranking officials such as: prefects Qazim Mulleti, Riza Dani, Kolë Tromara e Fiqëri Rusi, sub-prefects Hysen Prishtina, director of Accounting at the Ministry of Finance, Angjelin Suma, etc. . That list of names does not lack some of the high-ranking military men of that time, such as lieutenant colonel Ismail Haki Tatzati, major Rexhep Brati and major Ibrahim Jakova, where the amount for which they are accused reaches 60,000 gold francs.
The list of those accused of illegal benefits also includes some municipal police officers, or the driver of Prime Minister Fan Noli. Most of the governors accused of looting the state coffers, starting with Prime Minister Fan Noli, left Albania on December 24, 1925, and from political emigration where they stayed until April 1939, accusing Zog’s government of with the same “currency”.
Names, functions and amounts received from the state treasury
Name, Function, Amount Francs Gold
1) Angjelin Suma/ Director of Accounting in the Ministry of Finance/ 580, 2) Mustafa Kallamishi / 326.10, 3) Mehmet Bilali / Captain of the boat / 434.75, 4) Ismail Haki Tatzati / Lieutenant Colonel, 5) Rexhep Brati / Major, 6) Ibrahim Jakova / major / 60,000, 7) Aleks Pëllumbi / lieutenant / 9,221, 8) Xhemal Bushati / Minister of Internal Affairs / 5,000, 9) Llazar Fundo / Chairman of the Union Commission / 2,608,70, 10) Fan Noli / Prime Minister ( car expenses)/ 300, 11) Qazim Koculi / Minister of World Affairs/ 375, 12) Sulejman Delvina/ Minister of Foreign Affairs / 240, 13) Stavro Vinjahu for Bahri Omar / 1,000, 14) Sulo Bogdo and Ibrahim Dedja, 15 ) Petro Pekmezi / Clerk of M. World Affairs/171, 16) Vangjel Papa / Secretary of the military court /400, 17)(………………) / Prime Minister’s driver/ 152, 18) Mustafa Banka/ Protocol Clerk Ministry of Education /380, 19) Zyber Bakiu / Secretary Ministry of Justice /475, 20) Bilal Rustemi / Police of the Prime Minister /266, 21) Mihal Libohova / Lawyer, assistant member of the political court /350, 22) Shefqet Kulleci /Protocolist Ministry of Interior/342, 23) Ali Sulejmani /(communication expenses)/300, 24) Brah /(for army transport)/ 326.10, 25) Kostandin Kote /Parliament Clerk /285, 26) Serafin /Parliament Director /380.
The total amount of Francs Gold 92.300.15
Finance of Tirana
27) Beqir Rusi /Subprefect /684, 28) Mustafa ………………./ 304, 29) Eftim Bolena/police/ 266, 30) Bexhet Neimi /police /266, 31)Masar Sopoti /Secretary of the trial court / 266 .
Amount fr. Gold 1,786
Finance Directorate of Durrës
32) Riza Dani / Prefect / 1326, 33) Musa Maci / Deputy Prefect of Shijak / 937.60, 34) Ali Festuzi / Chief Secretary of the Prefecture / 237.50, 35) Luigj Zaja / Prefecture Protocolist / 413.25, 36) Muharrem Geco / Durrës Police Commissioner / 1000, 37) Kasem Durrësi / Cadastre Clerk / 351, 38) Shaban Belegu / Teacher in Shijak / 342, 39) Rexhep Dizdari / Director of Shijak School / 190, 40) Ali Tartari / Court Secretary / 190.
Amount fr. gold 527
Finance of Shkodër
41) Riza Dani (for the Finance Director of Shkodra) 40,000
Finance of Dibra
42) Qazim Mulleti 966
Finance of Elbasan
43) Kol Tromara / Prefect / 1.306.25, 44) Hysen Prishtina / Deputy Prefect / 812.23, 45) Demir Kodhelli / Headmaster of Peqin School / 418, 46) Ahmet Barburja / Teacher Elbasan / 551, 47) Mahmut Cela / Teacher Elbasan / 445.
Amount fr. gold 3.543.40
Finance of Gjinokastra
48) Hil Mosi / Prefect / 133. 35, 49) Sezai Como / Doctor for scholarship / 293.45.
Amount fr. gold 1156.80
Property Finance
50) Koço Cipi / 812.80
Finance of Kavaja
51) Qazim Mulleti /Vice Prefect /410.95
Finance of Lushnja
52) Naum Priest / Teacher /114
Total amount: fr. gold 140.376.20
Press Office
Historiography of the communist regime, accusations against King Zog
Did Zogu steal the Albanians’ gold?
One of the many accusations that the official propaganda of Enver Hoxha’s communist regime. made in the direction of the former King Zog, it was also the one where it was said that: “Satrap Ahmet Zogolli, devalued the gold and artificially increased the value of paper bills, in order to collect the gold, which he took with him, when left Albania on April 7, 1939”.
The accusation that “King Zog devalued the gold and increased the value of paper money, in order to collect the gold of the Albanians”, remained simply a propaganda accusation of that regime for public consumption./Memorie.al
