Street crime on the rise

MP Erjon Brace ranked a series of weapons that were sold with different prices. According to him, the difference goes up to 40%, hundreds of thousands of EUR damages for the state budget that go to the Defense Ministry Industry clients (MDI).

“The sales made by the Ministry of Defense were addressed to only two companies. ‘Montenegro Defense Industry’ and ‘UNIMESCO’. But the prices are different. The Ministry sells dynamite once for 305 USD/ton, and another time with 400 USD/ton. They sell “MDI” with 400 USD/ton and to UNIMESCO with “370 USD/ton. The Ministry of Defense sells hexogen MDI with prices that vary from 1000 to 15000 USD/ton, but they sell it to the Czech Plant only for 500 USD/ton. You can see the price difference. The Ministry of Defense sells to ‘AR Global’ on behalf of the Ministry of Defense and the veterans in Burkina Faso, the 60 mm mortars for 200 USD each. The Ministry sells to AR Global 82 mm mortars for 300 USD each, and to NF Belize with 230 USD each”, Brace declared.

Brace asked for explanations from the Minister of Defense, Arben Imami, for the different prices in the sales.

“I want to ask Minister Imami for the last time: Where did the money of the price difference go, in such an open and abusive affair. How are they distributed and to whom? These are the ‘communist residues’ that should be administered in favor of the state by the Defense Ministry, but that in fact are enriching unjustly their strategic, political and economic interests, by damaging the Albanian tax payers and by thickening the pockets of the Defense Minister clients and of corrupted officials who violate and humiliate the honest military men in that Ministry”, Brace declared.

Since the Defense Ministry had no reaction after Imami declared on Tuesday that their partner, the Serbian Slobodan Tessic, was on the UN’s black list, Brace said that Imami must answer for these consolidated relations with Tesic.

“Which is the reason that the Minister of Defense, Arben Imami, is not answering this time? He confirmed that the arms trade has only one condition: the partners should not be on the UN black list. He was caught in the act in a trade made with one person that was on the UN black list. Is he holding political and legal responsibilities in the Ministry? While is Imami staying silent? I understand that he is facing a difficult situation, but his only choice is to resign”, Brace declared.

Defense Ministry attacks Brace

The Ministry of Defense did not wait this Wednesday for Brace to make his next accusation, but attacked him with a declaration before his press conference.

The declaration reiterates that the arms trade is legal and most of the money are used to pay the Polican employees in Berat, the area where Brace was elected as MP.

“The Defense Ministry clarifies that the arms trade is a legal and useful activity that brings revenues to support the dismantling of old and dangerous ammunition. Different from the propaganda of the Socailist Party, we want to clarify that all ammunition are not used by the Armed Forces and their destiny is to be destroyed.

“Ministria e Mbrojtjes në vijim të transparencës me opinion publik sqaron se: tregtia e armëve është një aktivitet i ligjshëm dhe i dobishëm që sjell të ardhura për të mbështetur procesin e demontimit dhe asgjësimit të municioneve të tepërta e të rrezikshëm. Përkundër propagandës të Partisë Socialiste, sqarojmë se aktualisht të gjitha municionet janë jashtë përdorimit të Forcave të Armatosura dhe të destinuar për t’u shkatërruar. Nga këto municione kategorizohen ato për shitje. Deputeti Braçe, i cili tund letra të vjedhura të shtetit shqiptar, duke mashtruar opinionin publik çdo ditë, është në dijeni se një sasi e madhe e parave të grumbulluara nga tregtia e ligjshme e armëve, shkon për të mbështetur punën në Kombinatin Mekanik të Poliçanit. Nga të ardhurat e siguruara nga tregtia e ligjshme e armëve, 1.2 miliardë lekë janë destinuar për të paguar punonjësit e Kombinatit të Poliçanit. Si deputet i qarkut të Beratit, deputeti Braçe do të duhej të mbështeste këtë proces që siguron punësim për 300 familje të qytetit të Poliçanit.  Ne i kërkojmë deputetit Braçe, të dalë dhe të sqarojë se përse është kundër punësimit të 300 familjarëve nga Poliçani? Përse ai punon kundër bukës së gojës së fëmijëve të Poliçanit? Cili është interesi që fshihet pas kësaj fushate të turpshme të Partisë Socialiste?’ deklaroi zëdhënësja.

 
Crime on the rise

The Security Chief of the UN staff in Albania addressed an e-mail to the responsible people in the UN agency and the other international institutions, such as the World Bank, have warned their staff to be careful in the Albanian capital by considering it an unsafe environment.

Zoltan Biro reminds the recent case when a PNUD employee was robbed at the Komuna e Parisit. The female employee was attacked by a 14 year old who snatched her bag.

The e-mail says that “as we have previously informed, the robbery incidents have increased and this is not a first incident that happened to a UN staff or dependents; three other cases were reported. Young guys on motorbikes or even walking are targeting females, grabbing hand bags or jewelries.

Zoltan Biro says that the main targets are female PNUD employees. He reminds all of them seven points.

The points written in this e-mail are referred to an uncertain environment. “Recognize the environment where you are going and try to tell unknown faces” and “don’t go on dark areas”.

The Chief of Security for the UN asks everyone to not resist or they might get wounded. Biro says that the employees should not keep valuable objects or cash more than the daily needs.

“Right after a robbery your must try to contact the police on 129 and the Security staff at the UN. Prepare a report for the incident, because it is important if you lose the passport or the identity card”, Biro declared.

He also reminds them that these incidents might happen at any time during the day, rejecting the general opinion that these could happen only by night.

This warning e-mail in one of the biggest foreign organizations that operate in Tirana is another indicator of their perception for the increased crime in our streets.

Top Channel