ADRIAN THANO / Drejtor i Gazetës, 11.12.2009
Të dashur miq te Shekullit,
Ne fund te ketij shenimi, eshte teksti ne anglisht i nje letre denoncuese, shkruar nga botuesi i kesaj gazete. Nje tekst i perafert i eshte nisur dy dite me pare disa organizatave te Mbrojtjes se te Drejtave te Njeriut ne Tirane dhe ne Europe, ambasadorit amerikan dhe pjeses tjeter te trupit diplomatik, disa organizatave nderkombetare te Medias ku Shekulli aderon, perfaqesuesve te institucioneve te BE ne Tirane etj
Si gazete kemi heshtur gjate per dhjetera sulme te qeverise mbi bizneset paralele te investitorit te Shekullit. Pse kemi heshtur? Kemi heshtur sepse shume nga cenimet shkonin ne gjykate ne forme padie. Kemi heshtur me mendimin per te shmangur ngjarje qe ndoshta jo drejtperdrejt ishin ne rrethin e interesave te lexuesve tane. Kemi heshtur, megjithese kemi qene “shkaktaret” e ketyre goditjeve, rrethanat e te cilave jane thuajse te njejta: qeveria braktis Ligjin dhe sillet si Bandë. Them “jemi shkaktarët” sepse goditjet ndaj investitorit te Shekullit ne bizneset paralele te tij, kane ardhur per shkak te qendrimeve kritike te kesaj gazete qe une editoj prej vitesh bashke me koleget e mi.
Nuk eshte e mundur te heshtim më. Kemi perballe nje kryeminister qe ka braktisur çdo kanun te sjelljes qytetare dhe çdo kornize dhe kufi ligjor. Ne ndihemi te cenuar ne lirine tone. Gjendja per ne eshte bere kercenuese.
S.Berisha ne detyren e kryeministrit thote se ne jemi “mafia me e rrezikshme ne Ballkan” dhe se ai ka vendosur me ne fund “te bej shtet” duke na trajtuar edhe ne si Aldo Baren dhe Dritan Dajtin.
Po, nëse ka fakte (madje dosje të tëra me fakte) për mafiozë, pse eshte e nevojshme qe Kryeministri të bëj terror? Pse e humbet kaq keq ky burrë 60 vjeçar kontrollin dhe qetësinë?
Kemi Drejtesine qe mund t’i faktoje ose hedh poshte dosjet e tij. Drejtesine, te cilen ai vete e ka “te shenjte”. Aq te shenjte sa ne emer te kesaj Drejtesie, ai eshte gati te beje lufte civile, por jo te hapi 5 kuti.
Po te donte realisht “te bente shtet” kryeministri nuk ka pse të bëj as arixhofkën, as psikopatin. Fshehtas, (madje me nje shenim “top sekret” ne koke), i kopsiste dosjet, shkresat, provat, etj dhe i “postonte” direkt e ne prokurori. Pa bere ze, pa bere zhurme, per t’i kapur dhe ne befasi mafiozet, apo jo?
Sigurisht qe Saliu nuk ka hallin e Drejtesise. As hallin e “te berit shtet”! Sali-Qeveria shpif. Pse shpif? Ne rastin e Shekullit shpif per te krijuar distance mes nesh dhe qytetareve, me qellim qe ti kete duart e lira per te na ekzekutuar!
Shpif dhe pastaj zgerdhihet ne gjykate. Dje perfaqesues te qeverise te njohur me padine e investitorit te Shekullit ndaj S.Berishes, J.Topallit etj (për shpifje dhe fyerje) kishin vetem nje mbrojtje paraprake: ‘Keto jane sulme politike, deklaruesit kane status politik, nuk mbajne pergjegjesi ..” (!!).
Ne TV, rreth 3 muaj me pare, kur u pyet per premtimet dhe deklarimet e shkelura te fushates elektorale, kryeministri u pergjigj njesoj: “keto jane fjale fushate”. (!). Qekur “fjalet e fushates” qenkan te parendesishme? Ne cilin vend dhe me cilen klase politike ben vaki kjo?
Kur publiku u shokua pas perqafimit te tij me Nanon, te cilin e kishte peshtyrë si mafioz, padrino, prishes familje, drogmen, pijanec, vrases i Hajdarit etj, etj, kryeministri na tha: “E keqja juaj eshte se i merrni shume seriozisht keto gjera..” (!!)
Kjo sjellje karagjoze ne kontratat e egzekutivit me elektoratin dhe me aktoret e skenes publike, nuk eshte e mundur te vazhdoje me tej. Aq me teper qe kur behet fjale per te goditur kritikët e saj, qeveria e Berishes nuk eshte kaq ‘e urte’ sa ne perballjet gjyqesore me ta.
Merreni me mend se ku ka arritur mungesa e tolerances se kryeministrit. Dje policia kerkonte ne gjithe Tiranen nje makine. Ajo duhej ndaluar sepse i zoti i saj kishte nje targe te personalizuar britanike ku kishte shkruar “Sali Berisha”.
Kjo perbeka “krim” ne Shqiperine “europiane”. U bezdis sulltani! Ai nuk duron që kritikët t’i vendosin plehra-proteste as në rrugë përpara zyres, ndersa vetes i lejon të na stërkal te gjitheve nga ekrani brenda në shtëpitë tona me plehrat qe nxjerr pa kontroll nga goja.
Ne disa pika, ky nuk eshte opinion. Me merrni edhe si deshmitar. Te pakten dy nga personat e akuzuar rendshem nga Saliu, unë i njoh, Artan Dulakun dhe Koco Kokedhimen.. Kam punuar 2 vjet me te parin dhe dhjete vjet me te dytin respektivisht ne pozicionin e kryeredaktorit dhe drejtorit ne Vizion Plus dhe ne Shekulli. Jane burra punëtorë që kane ndare suksesin e tyre ne biznes me qindra djem e vajza te brezit tim. Kemi zhvilluar karierat tona ne keto biznese, jemi rritur bashke me to, kemi krijuar familje gjate kesaj kohe, stabilitet financiar, kemi jetuar. Kemi jetuar si njerez normale. Falë inisiatives dhe shpirtit krijues te ketyre burrave. Ka edhe te tjere, por une nuk i njoh te gjithe. Pyesni djemte dhe vajzat qe kane punuar dhe punojne me ta. Pyesni punonjësit e Top Chanell ç’mendojnë për Tanin dhe si u ndjenë ato ditë kur ai përdhosej nga ky kryeministër edhe i vdekur. Pyesni të tjerë të rinj apo familjarë, që kanë një dekadë që punojnë në bizneset e kryqëzuara. Pyetini si ndihen keto dite perballe shthurrjes mendore te sali-shtetit.
Nuk ka ëngjëj kjo bote, por e sigurt eshte qe shume biznesmene ne Shqiperi respektohen realisht nga njerezit, jane shembuj te gjalle e te perditshëm PUNE per shume te rinj prane tyre.
A mund te themi te njejten gje per shtetaret? Per kryeministrin, ministrat, etj? Pyetini njerezit çfare ndjejnë për ta. A kanë qytetarët shqiptarë respekt per shtetarin e sotem? Aq sa ka sheqer në Mars.
Ka përçmim, ka frikë dhe mbi te gjitha ka .. zilepsje. Po! Shumica ndjen vetëm zili për ta. Zili që ai (kryeministri, ministri, deputeti, drejtori i shtetit, familjet e tyre) kane mundesi te vjedhin pa u ndeshkuar dhe te pasurohen shpejt e shpejt. Zili! Çfare mjerimi!
Pak me lart permendem fjalen bandë. Eshte nje nga ato fjale qe ka qejf ta kendoje shpesh Saliu dhe bilbilat rreth tij. Cila eshte banda e vertete nga e cila duhet te ruhemi? Ja nje pyetje mbi te cilen mund te reflektojme: Çfare ndryshimi ka nje Qeveri nga nje Bandë? Ndryshimi eshte ky. Qeveria i bindet Ligjit, Banda i bindet Kapobandes. Kur Ligji bie si udhezues i praktikes se qeverisjes, qeveria nuk eshte me e tille. Qeveria shnderrohet ne bande sapo vihet nën urdhrat e nje individi.
Shqiperia po jeton dite te tilla. Qeveria e Republikës së Shqipërisë po sillet si banda e Al Kapones. Me qytetaret dhe me bizneset. Te paret i perdhunon duke i bere dekor te Shqiperise qe ekziston vetem ne koken e Saliut. Mijera qytetare u rrembyen nga banda e Saliut ne 8 dhjetor. Qytetare te marre peng, qe festonin “diten e lirise” !!
Viktime e mentalitetit banditesk mund te jemi te gjithe me radhe, nese e lejojme te vazhdoje kjo histori.
Nje thirrje e kam edhe per ata që vazhdojne t’i thone mbretit lakuriq se rrobat i rrinë bukur. Për ata që duartrokasin si guakë absurdin nëpër salla hipokrizie. Boll shitët gjithçka për të ruajtur postin dhe për të vjedhur ca para; sado që të keni, nuk do keni kurrë aq sa doni. Nuk mund të jemi të gjithë të kamur, por mund të jemi të gjithë të lirë!
Letren e meposhtme ne anglisht, i lutem gjithe lexuese tane ta percjellin ne njerez, organizata, media, ministri te jashtme, kudo dhe tek cilido qe ka diçka ne dore per te amplifikuar zerin e protestes ndaj nje qeverisje, te cilen qytetaria e ketij vendi, nuk e meriton. Dergojeni me email ose printojeni dhe postojeni. Per te mbrojtur LIRINË, thelbin e te qenit NJERI
Falenderoj mikun e Shekullit Rezart Palluqi ne Hollande, i cili ma shtiu kete mendim dhe i cili qe dje i eshte drejtuar i pari institucioneve te vendit ku jeton.
Faleminderit Rezart. Faleminderit te gjitheve. Perqafime, Adrian Thano!
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Prot. No__________ Dated 07/12/2009
Information Letter
To: …. (kujtdo qe do t’ia dergoni)
Through this letter, I would like to bring to your attention the fact that my freedom as a publisher and the editorial freedom of “2K Group” media are in a very critical situation, as a result of assaults and arbitrary illegal behaviors directly coordinated by Albanian Prime Minister Sali Berisha.
Mr. Berisha, immediately after coming to power in 2005, initiated and led a pressure campaign and general discrimination policy on the media and entrepreneurial activity of the “2K Group”. Its clear aim was to restrict, control and liquidate our editorial freedom. (It may be worth menntioning the fact that during 2000-2005, when he was leading the opposition, we communicated and exchanged opinions on a regular basis with Mr. Berisha. Besides, we kept a postion of high esteem for each other and Mr.Berisha has personally thanked me several times for the balanced stance of our media during the elections of 2005. It was only after coming in power that he ceased to appreciate the independence of our editorial policies.).
In the framework of this abusive policy, “2K Group” companies are continuously assaulted and discriminated against in their relations with all state institutions, which are controlled by the government. Numerous penalties are applied against them and frequently, illegal and unjust hurdles are put in their way. The heads of these institutions, in a hostile behavior directly inspired by Prime Minister Berisha issue abusive orders that have caused considerable damage to our media and entrepreneurial activity.
(You will find in the attached material, a practice with 20 key facts on Berisha government pressure against media and entrepreneurial activity of 2K Group)
This repressive policy has especially escalated after the elections of 28 June 2009. Prime Minister Berisha, unhappy with various evidence reported to the public by our media, especially “Shekulli” newspaper, has increased his pressure on me. This pressure reached its climax when he threatened my freedom and my fundamental constitutional rights as a citizen of the Republic of Albania using the tribune of the Parliament and his prime ministerial position as his accusation and speaking platform.
Mr. Berisha openly declares almost every day in the media that he will sequester my businesses and imprison me. (He has also mentioned names of other businessmen, in the same threatening manner, most of them also media owners). His declarations have greatly distressed my mother, who follows the news on television in my native village and alarmed all my relatives and associates, who live and work in the Balkans, Europe and USA.
He doesn’t even hesitate to use senior state officials for reading official insulting statements in the framework of a campaign of insults, slanders and threats, where I am labeled as “mafia” and compared with persons considered as the most dangerous criminals and murderers in Albania.
I would also like to disclose that alongside the above mentioned actions, our Prime Minister has recently established a special group run by him personally, (presented as an anti-mafia task force), with extra-legal powers, which will serve to plan repressive and restrictive undertakings of the state structures against me and my legal and business interests (and those of other media owners or supporters that keep opposing or independent editorial policies) . Through these ways, he also intends to prosecute me and exert illegal control on my private life, or the private life of my family members.
Honored Sir,
Through this letter, I would like to inform you and through you any institutions of the United States of America, which have an interest to be informed about the situation of the media freedom and rights in the Republic of Albania.
Sincerely,
Koço Kokëdhima
Koco Kokëdhima, President of the “2K Group, a former mathematician, is one of the first businessmen in Albania and his “2K” group is ranked today in the top list of media groups in Albania and the region. The group controls about 50 companies with a diversified portfolio in dozens of fields such as media, telecommunications, energy, construction, Marketing & Advertising etc.
Mr. Kokëdhima is not a member of any political party. He is a renowned public figure in Albania. Mr. Kokëdhima communicates regularly with the public every year through 4-5 interviews and several statements broadcasted in various electronic or printed media. Mr. Kokëdhima is involved in many social activities by investing in sports, cultural, environmental and charity projects, activities where he invests about 25% of his annual earnings.
“2K Group” publishes five newspapers and journals, numerous books and releases dozens of information papers on the web, owns major shares in one of two national private radio stations in Albania and in a local television in Tirana. “Shekulli” newspaper, the largest newspaper in Albania is one of the most recognizable media of “2K Group.
Koço Kokëdhima has never been charged or convicted during his life for a criminal offense.
Mr. Kokëdhima has opened criminal and civil lawsuits against Prime Minister Berisha and some senior officials of the Albanian state, including Parliament Speaker Jozefina Topalli, Minister Sokol Olldashi, the Democratic Party etc. for their systematic slander and political accusations against him (dozens of cases).
Koço Kokëdhima was born in 1959. He lives in Tirana together with his wife and his three daughters.
20 KEY F A C TS
about the pressure of the Prime Minister of Albania Sali Berisha on the media and business activity of “2K Group” with a clear intention to restrict, control or liquidate our publishing freedom!
In the following material, we have summarized 20 major facts on the pressure of Berisha’s Government on the media and business activity of “2K Group. Only a part of this pressure is summarized in this file for the sake of the preservation of confidentiality and security of resources. Some of these actions cannot be documented, as they have been purposefully exerted through oral orders and threats. On the other hand, we will be ready to put in your disposal any original testifying documents for each item in this letter you will be interested in.
Tirana – December, 2009
1. ‘Kokedhima’ Media Law – Berisha’s government proposed and passed Law No. 9531 , an action which is considered as a violation of fundamental human rights and articles 11, 17, 18, 42 and 49 of the Constitution, in spite of the fact that it was not enacted and was assessed as an unconstitutional law by the President of the Republic. According to Article 7 of this law, the electronic media shareholders are not entitled to compete in public tenders and participate in the process of privatization of the public property. After this, Mr. Koço Kokëdhima and his family members were forced to informally sell the shares they owned in A1 National Television and “Radio +2″ National Radio.
Mr. Koço Kokëdhima was the only citizen in the Republic of Albania affected by this law.
2. Blocked bank accounts to media company- Berisha government, through tax authorities, froze for almost 2 months (from 17.12.2007 to 07.02.2008) the bank accounts of ” Botimet Periodike Spektër” company on the grounds that it had nearly USD 35,000 of outstanding arrears. This led to blocking of all the payments of “B.P.Spektër ” company and caused a great damage to the relations with the printing house that prints of “Shekulli” and” Sporti Shqiptar” newspapers. Besides, the journalists of these newspapers were unable to receive their salaries for nearly 2 months. The General Director, Financier and Lawyer of the company visited almost every day for 50 days in a row on the doors of the tax office in their attempts to solve the problem. Not surprisingly, after all investigations the result was that the Local Tax Office owed to B.P. Spektër an amount of USD 40,000. Only after 2 months the accounts of “B.P. Spektër “were released.
3. No public funds advertising – Berisha’s government has withheld from Shekulli newspaper all paid government adverts and publications, which are paid with public funds and should be published in the country’s leading newspapers. Of course these funds go to all pro-government media, no matter how small or inexistent their reach or audience is. Under such a situation, revenues earned by the newspaper from advertising were reduced by 40%, or about 300,000 USD per year.
4. 3 weeks interruption of power supply to newspaper – Berisha’s government, through the Albanian Power Corporation (KESH) cut off the electric power supply to the “Shekulli” newspaper offices for 3 weeks. It took only 30 minutes to the KESH specialists who, only after the order of the ERE (Energy Regulatory Entity), finally visited to fix what they called a ‘serious defect’ which had hampered for three weeks the works of the reporters in the desks of the country’s central daily.
5. 5 months interrupton of power supply to TV station – Prime Minister Sali Berisha ordered the Albanian Power Corporation (KESH) to cut off electricity to A1 TV channel for about 5 months, under the excuse that this TV channel refused to pay a flat (au forfeit) invoice which, plus interests amounted to USD 80,000 (eighty thousand). From this moment A1 TV broadcasted through using a generator for the power supply, which after 45 days of non-stop use suffered an irreparable defect. Consequently, A1 Television totally ceased broadcasting. KESH leaders didn’t resume the power supply, although they received a final order by the Energy Regulatory Entity (ERE) to reconnect the energy after considering the flat bill as illegal. KESH reconnected electricity only after a final decision of the Court. As a result A1 Television stayed for several months without electricity and consequently without broadcasting suffering vast financial and reputation damages .
6. No public information and statements to 2K media – Berisha’s government has refused several times to provide information to 2 K Group media reporters, thus violating the public information law. In plenty of cases, we were unable to receive the requested documentation even though we had submitted a formal request. Moreover, the Berisha government officials have refused constantly to give statements to 2K Group owned media.
7. No public procurement to 2K companies – Since Berisha’s Government came to power, Sirius sh.a. (a public works company of 2K Group) has been disqualified from any public procurement. Representatives of state institutions mainly from the Roads General Directorate and the Ministry of Transport have declared all winning bids of Sirius as invalid, causing losses worth over USD 10,000,000 to this company and the state budget.
8. Revenge on article by forcibly deporting Brazilian soccer players – After Shekulli newspaper published a material which accused the Minister of Public Order, Mr. Sokol Olldashi for having ties with the organized crime, as a form of revenge, Berisha’s government ordered Mr. Olldashi to organize the kidnapping of 4 Brazilian footballers, legally employed and federated by the Albanian Football Federation from the training field of Apollonia soccer team (owned by Mr. Koço Kokëdhima and Fier Municipaliy).
In the afternoon of the day of the publication of the article, these footballers were isolated (in their training uniforms and without food) and kept for 3 days on the benches of Mother Teresa airport and then deported to Brazil.
Consequently, Apollonia team which was a Superliga member fell into a lower category on that year. The deported footballers had entered Albania legally and had applied for a residence permit. The incident was highlighted by the Brazilian and world media (Reuters), which expressed their indignation and surprise that how can it happen that a country with a lot of problems with its citizens working illegally in Greece and Italy, treats abusively, foreign citizens working there, in spite of the fact they had applied for a residence permit and were within legal timeframes.
9. Hampering trivial real estate registration procedures – The Mortgage office (Zyra e Hipotekave) ordered by the Prime Minister Sali Berisha continuously prevents different routine processes related to real estate owned by Mr. Koço Kokëdhima in an abusive and illegal way.
10. Abusive tax and closing of 2K Group’s construction company – Berisha government, through tax authorities has made an illegal and biased reassessment of the “Planet X” company’s incomes causing to this company an economic damage of over USD 500,000 USD. This company, which was previously one of the leading construction companies in Albania, has halted already its activity.
11. Abusive tax and closing of 2K Group’s wood processing company – Berisha government, through tax authorities, has made an illegal and biased reassessment of “IDM” company’s incomes. They have not accepted about 90% of the company’s bills on the assumption that the expenditures for the transport, advertising, repairs, or internet .. “do not serve to the company’s activity “…. We have filed a claim against this decision and the Appeals Directorate, controlled by the government, considered this strange argumentation as just, while the Tirana District Law Court totally refuted the “assessment notice” and considered IDM company’s claims as 100% right. It’s worth underlining here, that the person who compiled the controlling report was promoted to the position of the Director of Mat Regional Tax Office. Consequently, it became impossible for our company to continue its activity. The Wood Plant in Burrel, an investment of USD 4 million and inaugurated in 2003 has closed its business since 1 January 2008.
12. ‘Kokedhima’ regulatory plan change – With the intention to damage the interests of Mr. Kokëdhima, Prime Minister Sali Berisha changed the Regulatory plan of Tirana city approved by the Tirana Municipality. The only change approved by the National Council of the Territory Regulation of the Republic of Albania (KKRr.TRSH.), headed by Prime Minister Sali Berisha and Minister of Transport, Public Works and Telecommunication, Sokol Olldashi was to determine only Mr. Koço Kokëdhima’s property with a surface of 10,000 m2 as a green area.
This decision made unusable a property with a minimal value of USD 10,000,000.
13. Threat to demolish tourist village built by 2K Group – stopped by the court – Berisha’s government ordered the Construction Police of Vlora region to demolish a tourist village built in Qeparo by Koço and Aristidh Kokëdhima with their funds, because according to them they didn’t have the building permits. Deliberately, they didn’t respond to our complaint, although we sent also the building permit attached to this compliant. They started to execute the demolition, which was banned only after Vlora Law Court made a decision to insure a lawsuit. The same court also made a final decision consisting in the abrogation of the decision made by the Construction Police of Vlora region.
Despite this, the tourist village investment worth about $ 5,000,000 is currently blocked because the clients are intimidated and unsure of the future.
14.Threat to demolish residential building built by 2K Group – stopped by the court – Berisha government ordered the Construction Police of Vlora region to demolish a residential building in Himara funded by Koço Kokëdhima and built by “Eclipse” company, because according to their claims it hadn’t a building license. Just as in the previous case, they intentionally didn’t respond to our complaint to which we had attached our building permit. So they started to execute the demolition, which was banned only after Vlora Law Court made a decision for providing a lawsuit. The Court evaluated in this decision that “Eclipse company is equipped with a building permit according to the law and it has paid to the state all of its liabilities…”. Eclipse company filed a suit against the organizers of this criminal offense as it was able to prove that it had the construction permit at the moment that the order to demolish the building was issued. Besides, the Construction Police of Vlora region and the Ministry of Territory Regulation had audited this object earlier and they had found out that all of its documentation was regular.
15. Documentation refusal obstacles, from certificates to passports – Representatives of Berisha government usually refuse any kind of meeting to discuss any issues with 2K Group representatives. They also refuse every kind of application that 2K Group companies are obliged to make next to the state administration about different issues. These obstacles get to ridiculous levels in most of the cases. For example the Minister of Foreign Affairs Lulëzim Basha continually refused to issue Mr. Kokëdhima a service passport (according to Albanian legislation, the in chief of a newspaper with a circulation higher than 5000 copies is entitled to receive a service passport).
16. Pressure on courts against 2K Group, even leading to resignation of judges – In many instances, government representatives intervened illegally and exerted pressure on the courts that judged our disputes with the government, to issue decisions contrary to the law and to the detriment of our companies. There are cases where judges pressured by the government have refused to give decisions and they have preferred to resign from the cases under the trial process. I would like to cite a flagrant case when a judge from Vlora Law Court resigned in the penultimate session, after 6 months of judging this process. He accepted the request for exempting the party representing the state from the trial hearings after finding out that a former employee of Vlora Court worked in one of Mr. Koço Kokëdhima’s companies.
17.Continous Customs blockage and penalties – Berisha government orders the Customs Directorate to hamper activities of 2K Group companies and put illegal penalties on it. A flagrant case concerns “Remonti Elektrik Elbasan” company, where Customs General Directorate blocks and releases its right to import or export every 2 months. It also constantly tries to find a pretext for imposing penalties. But, the Customs Deputy Director considered these penalties as a mistake and ordered that measures are taken against responsible persons. Each time the Customs block our company, we are forced to show up and present the same documentantion. Thereafter, our business is unlocked and then blocked again …. to restart each time from scratch … As a result of these blockages, ” Remonti Elektrik Elbasan” company, once the main partner of Kosovo Energy Cooperation (about 40% of Remonti Elektrik company revenues) does not deal with this Corporation anymore.
18. Kokedhima ‘sin tax’ – 450% increase of outdoor advertising tax – Prime Minister Sali Berisha in the first meeting of his cabinet after the June 2009 elections, contrary to the principle of Local Autonomy and with the only intention to harm the “2K Group” business decided to increase the local taxes for outdoor advertising by 4.5 times. In the Government meeting, he called this tax a “Sin tax”, because according to him, anyone who has different opinions with him is a sinner.
19. Public personal verbal accusations, threats, insults and name calling – Prime Minister Sali Berisha started in November 2009 and onward a campaign of personal assaults, insults and slanders against the President of 2K Group, Mr. Koço Kokëdhima. He compared Mr. Kokëdhima with persons accused of multiple murders, narcotics trafficking, organizing armed gangs and many other serious crimes.
20. The extra legal task force with aim to propose ideas and laws to hit any businesses and persons that Berisha considers as ‘mafia’ – In parallel to public accusations on mr. Kokedhima and other media owners as mebers of the ‘mafia’, Prime Minister Sali Berisha has established a so-called Legal Council, with extra wide powers, under pretenses of fighting this ‘mafia’ which under his orders, plans repressive and restrictive activities of state structures against, among other targeted businessmen (almost all with stakes in opposing or independent media), Mr. Koço Kokëdhima and its legitimate interests, including prosecution and illegal control of his private life, or the private life of his family members.
