By Dashnor Kaloçi
Part One
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!
REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE SUPREME COURT OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA, ARANIT ÇELA, SENT TO THE PRESIDIUM OF THE PEOPLE’S ASSEMBLY, ON THE DEATH SENTENCE OF THE DIRECTOR OF MAKINA-IMPORT, ANDREA MANÇO
PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA
SUPREME COURT
No. 345 T, Selet. Tirana, on 31-5-1976
TO THE PRESIDIUM OF THE PEOPLE’S ASSEMBLY
TIRANA
Attached to this letter, we send you the decision of the Criminal Chamber of this Court, No. 1l dated 20. V. 1976, concerning Andrea Manço, as well as the report together with the request that the aforementioned person addresses to the Presidium.
The President
Aranit Çela
REPORT
With decision No. ll date 20.5.1976, the Supreme Court, sentenced to death by firing squad, Andrea Manço, son of Kristaq and Kostavicës, born in 1923, born in the village of Boboshticë in the Korça district, resident in Tirana, with origin and social status of a civil servant, former director of “Makina-import” in the Foreign Trade sector, for having committed the crimes of sabotage, agitation and propaganda against the popular government, appropriation of socialist property, qualified smuggling and abuse of official position, provided for by articles 72,73/1,81,91/II and 199/I of the Criminal Code.
The administration of evidence in the court session made it clear that this convict, while holding the position of director of the “Makina-import” enterprise, has committed acts of sabotage that have caused significant damage to the political, economic and ideological interests of our socialist state. The activity of this convict is a direct continuation of the sabotage and hostile work in the Foreign Trade sector of the conspiratorial group Abdyl Këllezi, Koço Theodhosi, Kiço Ngjela, discovered by the Party and struck at the 6th and 7th plenums of the C.C. of the Party.
Andrea Manchua, by trying to tie our trade to the market of some capitalist and revisionist countries of Western Europe, with the aim of sabotaging the Party’s line in this field, has violated the orientations according to which our country should not enter into trade relations with the United States of America, the Soviet Union, South Africa and other imperialist countries, which have hostile and predatory intentions towards our country.
Also, with the aim of sabotage, the aforementioned has violated another orientation given by the Party and Comrade Enver, according to which our country has developed and will develop trade relations with capitalist and revisionist countries on the basis of the principles of peaceful coexistence, equality, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity and non-interference in each other’s internal affairs and mutual benefit.
Based on these goals, this enemy has directly entered into commercial relations with the American firm “Western Data System”, its subsidiary “Geospas”, located in West Germany, for the purchase of an electronic machine worth 500,000 dollars. To conclude this agreement, the convicted Andrea Manço, as the former director of Makina-import, has signed the request addressed to the U.S. Department, to request from it the export permit for the machine, thus directly entering into relations with American state institutions.
Due to sabotage activity, even today this machine is not fully functional. In order to leave a free path for the arrival of agents in Albania, this agreement does not stipulate that the arrival of specialists with American citizenship is not allowed in the Republic of Albania. Also another circumstance that shows that the convicted Andrea Manço, contrary to the Party’s orientations, has tried to bring our country into hostile relations with American firms, is shown by his other hostile action that, in the contract concluded with the firm “Geospas”, among other things, the way in which spare parts for electronic machinery would be purchased from it was not foreseen.
This action, according to this saboteur, was intended to force our country to accept the terms of the firm and to request from time to time, even for the smallest tool of this machinery, the permission of the U. S. State Department. B. A.’s. In this way, it was also acted with other American firms, such as “Ampeks”, “Walleylob Colorado Usa”, with which it was contracted for an amount of 1,420,000 dollars. It is worth mentioning that with the Romanian firm “Uring eksport-import”, the convicted Andrea Manço, has concluded a contract for the purchase of a dredge worth 2,083,000 rubles, of which 83,000 rubles would be paid in free foreign currency, while the remaining difference of 2,000,000 would be paid in transferable rubles (free rubles).
Such hostile actions aim to force our country to enter the free ruble zone, which is centered in the international bank of KNER in Moscow. Violating the principle of equality and economic expediency, the convicted Andrea Manço has concluded similar agreements with other firms in revisionist countries, such as the “Karamental” firm of Czechoslovakia, from which 60 “Tatra” cars were purchased, in exchange for chrome, at a stop price, at a time when the chrome conjuncture in the international market was increasing, etc.
Both this convicted person and the enemy Kiço Ngjela rejected the insistence of some employees of this sector, not to allow such an action, which caused a damage of 833,000 dollars to the economy. This is what happened with the self-unloading “Dumper” trucks ordered for the Fierza hydroelectric power plant, purchased in England for a value of 1,300,000 dollars, which even today have serious defects and for which, supposedly, 27 English “specialists” (spies) have come to Albania so far to fix them.
During the trial of the case, it became clear that in the “Makina-import” directorate, as well as in the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the convicted Andrea Manço, in carrying out hostile actions, has exploited the bureaucracy, sick intellectualism and technocracy that covered these state apparatuses. With his prepotent and arrogant actions, he has tried to extinguish the class struggle in this sector, to undermine the leading role of the basic organization of the Party.
Andrea Manchua violated all the Party’s norms in cadre politics, gathering around himself people with dubious personalities, like himself, he did not raise issues for discussion either in the organization or in the collective, he did not listen to the voice of the masses, he arrogantly despised everything. In February 1975, this convict sent 7 letters to the Party leader and several other leading comrades, with deeply hostile content. In them he expressed himself in very offensive words, which proves a deep hostility that he harbors for the Party, its Leader and our People’s Power. In addition to the above, this convict with specific persons, his comrades or friends, has expressed himself against the political, economic and ideological line of the Party.
As he himself stated during the trial, he “is for a social and state system where ‘broader freedom and democracy’ would rule, for a regime with many political parties, etc., etc.” During the trial, it was also proven that the convicted Andrea Manço, being the director of “Makina-import”, stole socialist property, in the amount of 3,130 ALL, the value of gifts and packages that were sent by foreign firms, or our trade representations abroad, for the “Makina-import” enterprise, these items, which were found in his apartment.
All other gifts that came in this way, in contradiction to the Government’s decisions, he distributed according to his wishes, to friends and comrades, these items amounting to a value of 7,252 ALL. From 1970 to 1974, this convicted person went abroad 16 times on service. During these trips he took dollars from various people, which after he took them out of the country, in violation of the provisions regulating the administration of gold and foreign currency, he used them to buy various items of clothing, wristwatches, etc., which he brought to Albania, hiding them from customs control.
A degenerate, immoral element, he had established intimate relations with one of his office bearers. This trait of his vile character was also confirmed by another fact, which he himself confirmed during the trial, that when he went to West Germany on one occasion, he visited brothels there, where he was taken by the vice president of the American firm “Geospas”, named Hefer.
Tirana, 31.V.1976
INCLUDING INDICTMENT 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, Acting Judge of the Supreme Court
Fehmi Lagreta, Acting Judge of the Supreme Court
Assisted by Secretary Sadik Memo, with the participation of Prosecutor Edmond Sanxhaktari, today, on 20.5.1976, I took up for consideration in a closed court session, criminal case No. 11 concerning the defendant.
ANDREA MANÇO: Son of Kristaq and Kostavica, born in 1923, born in the village of Boboshticë, Korça District, resident in Tirana, Rruga “Mine Peza”, Palace No. 143, with origin and social status of a sub-worker, by position former director of “Makina-import” Tirana, with higher education, married, has two children, has a wife of Soviet nationality, former A.P now expelled, no previous convictions, holds the Class II Labor Order, arrested on March 27, 1975.
The accused:
that he committed the crime of sabotage, agitation and propaganda against the popular government, appropriation of socialist property in small value, qualified smuggling and misuse of official office, these crimes are foreseen by articles 72,73/1,83,93/2 and 199/1 of the Criminal Code
The court, after reviewing the investigation materials, the evidence obtained during the trial, after hearing the prosecutor who requested that the defendant be declared guilty, for all the crimes he is accused of and sentenced to “death by shooting”, confiscation of movable and immovable property and the loss of the electoral right for 5 years, after hearing the defense and the last word of the defendant, who asked for mercy,
NOTE
The trial of the case against the defendant Andrea Manço, fully established that being in the capacity of director of the “Makina-importit” enterprise for several years, where the defendant, has developed sabotage activities against the people’s power, in the Foreign Trade sector, an activity which is a direct continuation of the entire sabotage and hostile work in the political, military, economic and ideological fields of the conspirator group, discovered by the Party and struck at the plenums IV, V, VI and VII of the K. Q. of the Party.
In addition, the defendant Andrea Manço has carried out agitation and propaganda against the people’s government, has stolen socialist property, has abused his official position and has committed qualified smuggling, these crimes provided for by articles 72, 73/1, 82, 91/13 and 199/1 of the K.P. During the trial of the case, it became clear that this sworn enemy and saboteur have been hiding as such under the guise of the director of an important directorate of the Foreign Trade sector of “Imported cars “.
Guided by the hostile work method developed by the enemies of the Party and the state, the conspirators Abdyl Këllezi, Koço Theodhosi and Kiço Ngjela, respectively in the Industry and Trade sectors, and finding their direct support, the defendant Andrea Manço has developed in the Foreign Trade sector, a wide-ranging sabotage and hostile activity, which has caused significant damage to the interests of our state, in this area of our socialist economy.
The enemies of the Party and the state, Koço Theodhosi and Kiço Ngjela, whose activities were discovered by our Party, created a free field of action for this saboteur, who has tried to keep our trade tied to the market of some capitalist and revisionist countries of Western Europe, in order to turn our country into a country economically dependent on them and to endanger its freedom and independence.
Thus, he has violated the Party’s guidelines, according to which our country should not enter into trade relations with the United States of America, the Soviet Union, South Africa and other imperialist countries, which have hostile and predatory intentions towards our country. By introducing our country into trade relations with these countries, the defendant Andrea Manço has directly opposed the line and policy of our Party in this area.
Thus, he entered into a contractual relationship with the American firm “Western Data System”, its subsidiary “Geospas”, located in West Germany, for the purchase of an electronic calculator, for geophysical studies in the oil sector. For the conclusion of this agreement, the defendant Andrea Manço, with the direct consent of the enemies of the Party and the state, Koço Theodhosi and Kiço Ngjela, requested permission from the U. S. Department of State.
This defendant himself explained during the trial that; “consciously and with the intention of sabotage, we have violated the guidelines given for the manner and circle of countries with which our state should establish trade relations” and that; “we were also well aware of the orientation according to which the R.P. of Albania should not enter into trade relations with the U. S. and yet, they allowed such a thing”! / Memorie.al
