Dashnor Kaloçi
Memorie.al /In complete isolation where Albania was during the entire period of Enver Hoxha’s communist regime until 1990, except for those who went abroad for work, such as diplomats, Marina Tregtare or Agro-export, the only citizens who were given the opportunity to ever go out, were artists and athletes, who with the minimal diets given to them by the state of that time, could not afford to buy in the states where they went, something for themselves or their families.
But by saving or taking some dry food with them, they used their diets to buy something small, such as a pack of Marlboro cigarettes, a lighter, soap, glasses, gambling paper, (so called papers at the time). ), or at best some blouse, which cost cheaper. But due to the great desire of the Albanians at that time to have something different from the others, they were forced to collect a few dollars more than the rule allowed, or gold coins (Napoleon gold or Rooster) and secretly take them out to the customs. them out to buy something more. For example. wristwatch (a Golden Rooster was given for two hours “Atlantic”), tape recorder, or at best, a television set. However, taking foreign currency (dollars, gold coins) abroad more than the law allowed for those citizens who went abroad was considered smuggling and according to the laws in force of the Code of Criminal Procedure, it was called a crime against the state and those caught with this, in the best case they were expelled from work or sports, while in the worst case they were punished with imprisonment. To get gold coins (Rooster or Napoleon) abroad, athletes were mostly forced to use all sorts of ways to escape the control of vigilant customs officers. One of these ways was to put them in the milk boxes that were produced in the food factory “Ali Kelmendi” in Tirana, which was done at the time of production and the athlete who made it, was forced that when he came from abroad, t ‘brought something to the “food” worker that enabled that stunt. One of them who has publicly stated this fact publicly during a TV show (Noisy story, TV Klan, year 2011), is the legend of Albanian sports, Ajet Toska, Master of Sports in throwing the hammer. Thus, from the beginning of the 1960s, when communist Albania seceded from the Soviet Union and other Eastern European countries and closed its borders, until 1990, a large number of Albanian citizens were given the opportunity to “out of the way”, mainly athletes and artists, have been accused and convicted of “smuggling”. Among them there were also many famous personalities, artists and athletes with names who have also served prison sentences. For example. in the first cases that are publicly known, is that of Skënder Halili, the great football master of the team “17 Nëntori” of Tirana (whose name today bears the sports field of the team Tirana), who at the end of the years In the ’60s, he was sentenced to prison for only ten dollars that were found above the allowed norm and diet. Such cases have occurred in the years that followed with other athletes and artists, which are already known from the publication in the press after the ’90s. For example. the weightlifter, Aleksandër Kondo, absolute champion for several years, who in 1984 was sentenced to cut off food treatment and non-participation in some international activities, only for a pornographic magazine that the customs of Rinas found hidden in his body ?! Or the other case of the football players of the “Flamurtari” team of Vlora in the mid-80s, who on their return from Spain (where they met the “Barcelona” team for the European Champions Cup), were stopped at the Hani customs of Hoti, as they had bought more loot than they were allowed. For example. famous defender, Rrapo Taho, customs officers took from him a bridal gown, which he had bought for a family member. But what happened to Tahon and some of his teammates, whose radio-tape recorders, etc., were seized was half the battle. Because on the same day, a pornographic magazine was found on their bus, for which the team would have a lot of trouble ?! Although the famous “Flamurtari” of those years made an era, passing tours several times in European cups, the communist regime did not tolerate them at all. Should they obey all the laws and regulations in force, like everyone else ?! While, as we said a little above, these things are already known, in today’s article we are publishing an archival document from 1970, where the General Prosecutor of the Republic, Lefter Goga, through an information report, announces the senior leadership regarding with the “involvement of some athletes of the” Partizani “team in currency smuggling”. And the athletes who have the names there, are former stars of Albanian football and basketball, coaches and players of national teams, such as footballer Spiro Gjika, basketball players, Novruz and Dodan Përmeti, legends of Albanian basketball over the years. In addition to these well-known names, for years they hold the highest titles such as “Grand Master”, etc., in the document in question is also mentioned the prominent doctor of national teams, dr. prof. Lluka Heqimi, a professional and model man, both then and today. The report-information in question was sent to Hysni Kapos, secretary of the Central Committee of the ALP that covered in party ways the organs of the dictatorship of the proletariat (Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Defense, State Security, Investigation, courts, prosecution, etc.), who also put the relevant note in that document. This report-information of the General Prosecutor where the propaganda of that time and the strict discriminatory laws of the communist regime in power have tried to tarnish and bring out a lot of trouble to the names of the biggest Albanian sports, we are publishing it in full and without censored at all. With the sole purpose of showing the younger generation that did not reach that time, how that regime worked even for those athletes who raised the name and flag of Albania in the sports palaces and stadiums of different countries of world.
GENERAL PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE
(ARMY BRANCH)
I N F O R M A C I O N
ON SOME ISSUES, COMING OUT OF THE INVESTIGATION OF SOME CRIMES RELATED TO CURRENCY SMUGGLING
Recently, in Tirana, the Military Prosecution has prosecuted several criminal cases with the military, accused of violating the provisions of currency and gold as well as smuggling.
The main perpetrators of these crimes are athletes, who have gone abroad several times in a row. The people who gave them the currency, in addition to their co-workers, were other outsiders, with bad political attitudes, who in various ways, tried to get closer to them.
In the summer of 1969, the football player of the “Partizani” Club, officer Spiro Gjika, was prosecuted and convicted. smuggling state. (has extracted $ 337 and 1 napoleon of gold). The people who gave him the currency were physical education teachers as well as some others, with a bad moral attitude, with whom he maintained connections and company.
This was the case with the barber Ali Votopija – a degenerate man, around whom many athletes gathered, where some of them also received currency from him. The same person mediates to establish connections between athletes and other people. Thus, e.g. Mina Kote, Kujtim Xhara, later convicted of crimes against the state and smuggling, were interested and wanted to meet Spiro Gjika to give him this dollar and smuggle.
At the beginning of this year, N / Officer Pëllumb Shaqiri, sportsman of the Club “Partizani”, Ali Lulolli, basketball player of the Club “Dinamo”, and others were prosecuted and convicted for smuggling. The dollar supplier of this group was the aforementioned, Ali Votopija and Thoma Cikoni, a tailor who has people abroad.
Athlete Ali Lulolli was advised last year for such acts. However ay did not give up.The above investigative materials were worked on in various sports clubs, the work centers as well as their central institutions were informed. However, it turns out again that some members of these clubs were later involved in currency and smuggling.
From the Sports Club “Partizani” was processed N / Officer Niazi Lleshi, basketball coach for the youth of “Partizani”, N / Officer Novruz Përmeti, coach of the girls and pioneers of the Sports Club “Partizani”, Dodan Përmeti, basketball player of Partizan , Lluk Heqimi, doctor, etc.
The dollar suppliers of these were various persons such as Jani Meksi, the son of a prisoner, Besnik Kodra, a drunkard, etc. So, while the people who take out the currency, and buy smuggled goods, are people with good political and social composition, the people who supply these with dollars, in some of them are elements with bad political and moral composition and to some extent t ‘interested in inciting others to commit a crime, or to establish links with him, as is the case mentioned above with officer Spiro Gjika.
The latest trial shows that some of them, such as Dodan Përmeti, had connections and acquaintances, through these actions and with other persons, two of whom were recently arrested for crimes against the state.
To prevent these crimes, we organized several more meetings this month with the sportsmen of these clubs, where the city military prosecutor worked out the conclusions of the investigation.
Many people with political and social composition are involved in this process. For this reason, some of them have not been prosecuted, while for prosecutors of the latter group, the collective proposed that we leave them for education and follow closely their improvement until complete rehabilitation. We accepted their proposal, but nevertheless, we think that the political and educational work of the leaders of these clubs, of the education sections, and others, has not had the proper effectiveness.
In providing this information, we started from the fact that, as it is known about the athletes of these clubs, a lot of young people gather, which we thought was of interest for a more careful treatment of this sector. The investigation shows that other athletes, when they go abroad, are seen wandering around the shops with foreign currency in hand. This, in turn, has been pointed out to the main leaders of these clubs to issue tasks for the coaches and officials who accompany them.
Regarding the above crimes and the guilty persons, the Party Committees have been informed on which these clubs, Commands and work centers depend.
Tirana, on 3 IX.1970
THE GENERAL PROSECUTOR
(LEFTER GOGA)
Memorie.al
