By Dashnor Kaloçi
Part Ten
Memorie.al / 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 to the “Block” of the high leadership of the PPSH (Party of Labor of Albania), just a few meters from the building of the Central Committee of the PPSH and also the villa of Enver Hoxha. Although more than four decades have passed since that day, regarded as one of the most serious and sensational events of that regime, there still lacks a clear and accurate version regarding what happened to former Albanian Prime Minister Mehmet Shehu in the midnight hours leading up to December 18, 1981! Even though after the 1990s, dozens of testimonies and archival documents related to that event have been made public, the question of “the murder or suicide of Mehmet Shehu” continues to be a subject of extensive debates and discussions, further shrouding the truth surrounding it in mystery!
Prompted by 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 PPSH, which we have published in these decades following the collapse of Enver Hoxha’s communist regime and that of his successor, Ramiz Alia, Memorie.al has obtained the voluminous file of “the enemy Mehmet Shehu,” which has been extracted from the secret fund of the former State Security (under 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 being published for the first time in full.
In this file, there are relevant facsimiles of the expert report by the operative-investigative group that was established immediately on the morning of December 18, 1981, led by Koço Josifi (chairman of the Investigation of the Directorate of Internal Affairs of Tirana), forensic doctors Dr. Fatos Hartito and Docent Bashkim Çuberi, the prime minister’s physicians Milto Kostaqi and Llesh Rroku, as well as the forensic expert from the Central Criminal Laboratory of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Estref Myftari, assisted by high-ranking officials from that ministry, Xhule Çiraku, Elham Gjika, and Lahedin Bardhi.
In addition, the voluminous file we are making public also contains testimonies from the family members of former Prime Minister Mehmet Shehu, service personnel, and his escort group, as well as all other individuals who were summoned and testified regarding that event. For more details about this, the documents in question inform us, which we are publishing together with relevant facsimiles and photographs.
However, even though we are dealing solely with archival documents, it should be emphasized that, knowing how that system functioned before the 1990s, we cannot claim absolute veracity regarding what is written there. This is because not only the individuals who provided their testimonies but also the investigators of this case have made it known that these testimonies were obtained under pressure, intimidation, and physical and psychological violence. In fact, some of the investigators wrote them themselves, and the witnesses or defendants merely affixed their signatures there.
To be continued from the previous issue
ARCHIVAL DOCUMENT, WITH THE MINUTES OF THE INTERROGATION OF FATMIR YMER GJELI, THE CHEF OF MEHMET SHEHU’S FAMILY, BY INVESTIGATOR BASHKIM CAKA OF THE MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS
P R O C E S – V E R B A L
(Interrogation of the witness)
Today, on June 8, 1983, in Tirana.
We, the investigators of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Sokol Koleka and Bashkim Caka, take the witness statement from:
- Name, father’s name, surname: Fatmir Ymer Gjeli.
- Date of birth (day, month, year): 1943.
- Education: 7th grade (two years, Chef School).
- Place of residence: Neighborhood No. 2, “Punëtorët e Rilindjes” Street, Building 1, Apt. 6.
- Position: Chef at the “Arbëria”
- Hotel-Restaurant. Party membership:
- Party member. Criminal record:
- Not convicted. Identification number….!
- Relations with the accused: No family ties.
The investigator warned me about the criminal responsibility, according to Article 202 of the Penal Code, for false testimony.
SIGNATURE OF THE WITNESS
Fatmir Gjeli
Regarding the matter, I can say the following: I have worked for 12 years as a chef in the house of the enemy Mehmet Shehu. Both Mehmet Shehu and his wife, Fiqret Shehu, along with their children, treated us badly, the service personnel; they scolded us, insulted us, yelled at us, etc., behaving like kings over us. In the house of Mehmet Shehu, the following people usually visited: Feçor Shehu, Llambi Ziçishti, Nesti Nase, Kadri Hazbiu, and in the last years, also Nazar Berberi, Mendu Backa, Veli Llakaj, etc.
Mihallaq Ziçishti also came, especially in Durrës, where he would drink coffee and chat with Mehmet Shehu. I remember that when Mihallaq Ziçishti came from Spain, Mehmet Shehu had him for lunch at his home in Tirana, and I clearly remember that for Mihallaq Ziçishti, Mehmet Shehu also had lunch when a plenum of the Central Committee of the PPSH was held in those last years.
For the individuals that Mehmet and Fiqret Shehu invited for lunch and dinner, including ministers, deputy ministers, various friends, and even Skënder Shehu’s professor who came from Sweden with his daughters, Fiqret would often discuss with Qamil Peshqeshi and Fejzo Bija. The expenses incurred on such occasions, both for friends and themselves, were paid for by the Reception Directorate. On these occasions, the service personnel, drivers, etc., would also eat.
In many instances, when the end of the month approached and payments were to be made for the food expenses accumulated during the month, Fiqret would review the invoices and scream that too much money had been spent, refusing to pay all the amounts—why, I don’t know! They ate like pigs, indulging in good food, even returning items to the store dozens of times if they didn’t like them. Whenever Fiqret didn’t like something, she would threaten, saying; “I will put you in prison,” etc.
Fiqret was so explosive that I ended up clashing with the Ministry of Trade so that I wouldn’t get the category, according to the relevant regulations. I remember one incident in those last years that made an impression on me. As soon as Mehmet Shehu returned from hunting and divided the pigs he had killed, he sent them to Kadri Hazbiu, Feçor Shehu, Veli Llakaj, and one to someone who, as I heard there, had gifted Mehmet Shehu a hunting rifle.
Mehmet came to me and asked, “Are they distributed?” I responded, “Yes, but one remains to be delivered to the commander!” He looked me in the eye and said: “Which commander?!” I, surprised, replied: “The commander, the party leader,” as we all referred to him there. Mehmet Shehu, smiling, said: “Aha-aha” and walked away.
Mehmet often sent wild boar meat to Tanush Shyti, Duro Shehu, etc. Among us in the kitchen staff, Jonuz Luto and Fiqret’s driver, first Thanas Kosta, and later Bedriu, would often come by, and Ali Çeno and Astrit Hitaj would also visit. Occasionally, they would go and play at Party House No. 1 in the afternoons or evenings when no one from the leadership was around.
In the last week before Mehmet Shehu committed suicide, I had my regular leave, and there my uncle, Qemal Gjeli, served, who is also a chef in the Reception Directorate. Regarding the instances when different friends came to Mehmet Shehu’s house, I didn’t see them and wasn’t aware of who entered because I stayed in the kitchen, but I heard later that so-and-so had come, etc.
When friends would come and have coffee, either Mehmet or Fiqret Shehu would ring the bell, or lately, they would notify us on the intercom. Fiqret would rarely come down to the kitchen to inform us to make coffee, raki, etc., without letting us know who had arrived.
Regarding what I have stated above, my statements have been read back to me, and they are true, and I sign./Memorie.al
The Witness The Investigators
Fatmir Gjeli Bashkim Caka Sokol Koleka
To be continued in the next issue
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