From the end of November 1944, when he officially 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 Party, which he had practically started in 1941, with Anastas Lula and Sadik Premta, continued 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, 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 as 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 1970s, where Enver Hoxha's "sword" had mainly fallen on the senior leadership of the AKP (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-1970s, 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 in order to prove their "hostile activity", Enver Hoxha sentenced to prison and exile a large group of senior officers, and with the so-called "Saboteur Group of the Economy", which in addition to Këllez and Theodhos, also included the two ministers Kiço Ngjela and Vasil Kati, several senior officials of the Trade sector, directors and well-known specialists, such as Andrea Manço, Ahmet Jegeni, Bardhyl Frashëri, etc., 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 "Hostile and saboteur group of the economy", which had been carried out by the Ministry of Interior and State Security, with fabricated accusations and false testimonies or obtained under torture, etc., was continued by 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 these, after the 1990s, much has been said and written about them, both by members of those "groups", their family members, etc., etc. Memorie.al has secured the archival documents of the Supreme Court of the People's Republic of Albania at 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 that we are publishing in several issues, along with the relevant photos and facsimiles.
In the first and second parts of this series of articles, we published documents concerning the former director of Makinaimport, Andrea Manço, originally from the village of Boboshticë in Korça, whose brother Todo Manço had served for years as chief engineer and director of the Bulqiza chrome mine, and also as a member of the People's Assembly for several consecutive legislatures. When he passed away on November 6, 1974, a grand funeral ceremony was held for him, with homage in the center of Tirana, 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 be given all these honors, his brother, Andrea, nearly 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 foreign agencies", and his grave has not yet been found! Meanwhile, in this article, we are publishing documents that refer to the so-called "Hostile Group in Oil", headed by the well-known cadres and engineers, Filip Nashi, Beqir Alija, Koço Plaku, Dhimitër Stefa, Protoko Murati, Milto Gjikopulli, Nuredin Skrapari, Jani Konomi, etc., as well as the minutes of the meeting of the Presidium of the People's Assembly of the People's Republic of Albania, where the request of the death row convicts, Koço Plaku, Andrea Manço and Milto Gjikopulli, to pardon their lives was considered.
REPORT OF THE MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS, SENT TO THE DIRECTORATE OF INVESTIGATION AND THE PROSECUTOR GENERAL, BY ORDER OF MINISTER KADRI HAZBIU, ON THE EXECUTION BY SHOOTING OF THE THREE THOSE SENTENCED TO DEATH, KOÇO PLAKU, MILTO DJIKOPULLI AND ANDREA MANÇO
PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA SECRET
MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS Single copy
Tirana, 28.6.1976
SUBJECT: On the execution by death (shooting) of the three convicts.
MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS
DIRECTORATE OF INVESTIGATION
For information: PROSECUTOR GENERAL OF THE REPUBLIC OF
TIRANA – Based on decision No. dated 20.5.1976 and decision no. 13 dated 17.6.1976 of the Criminal College of the Supreme Court of the RSPSH, the following persons were sentenced to death (shooting):
Andrea Manco
Kocho the Elder
Milto Gjikopulli
Since the Presidium of the People's Assembly, by letter No. 400 dated 26.6.1976, announces the rejection of the request for clemency for their lives:
I ORDER:
The convicted Andrea Kristaq Manço, Koço Josif Plaku, and Milto Vasil Gjikopulli, to be executed by death (shooting) at the designated place on 28.6.1976 at 24.00.
I entrust the Tirana Directorate of Internal Affairs with the execution of the convicts.
Before they are executed, the defendants should be notified that their request for clemency has been rejected by the Presidium of the People's Assembly.
After the execution, the person in charge of this task shall draw up a report of the execution of the decision with the last words of the executed, separately for each one, and send it to the Directorate of Investigation.
MINISTER OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS
Kadri Hazbiu
REPORT OF THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE TIRANA DIRECTORATE OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS, KADRI GOJASHI, SENT TO THE MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS AND THE DIRECTORATE OF INVESTIGATION, ON THE SHOOTING OF THREE DEATH-CONVICTS, KOÇO PLAKU, MILTO DJIKOPULLI AND ANDREA MANÇO
PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA Secret
MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS Copy No. 1
DIRECTORATE OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS Tirana, 2.7.1976
Temporary 2 years
MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS
DIRECTORATE OF INVESTIGATION
(1st Branch)
Tirana
Attached to this letter, we send you 2 copies of the minutes on the execution of those sentenced to death by firing squad: Koço Plaku, Milto Gjikopulli, and Andrea Manço, who were executed on 28.6.1976 at 24.00 according to the Minister's order, No. 552/1, dated 28.6.1976
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS
(KADRI GOJASHI)
Minutes
Held in Tirana, on 28.6.1976, by me Kadri Gojashi, Koço Josifi, assisted by the Deputy Prosecutor General comrade Sotiraq Samara, and doctor Nevrat Vigani, on the execution of those sentenced to death by firing squad, Koço Plaku, Milto Gjikopulli, and Adrea Manço.
Based on the order of the Minister of Internal Affairs, No. 552/1, dated 28.6.1976, on 28.6.1976, at 24.00, the following persons sentenced to execution were taken from the isolation rooms of Ward 313 in Tirana:
1) Koço Plaku, son of Josif, born in 1929, born in Hoçisht, Korça district and resident of Fier. Sentenced by the Supreme Court with decision No. 13 dated 27.6.1976 to death by firing squad.
2) Milto Gjikopulli, son of Vasili, born in 1930, born in Dhërmi and resident in Fier. Sentenced by the Supreme Court with decision No. 13 dated 17.6.1976 to death by firing squad,
3) Andrea Manço, son of Kristaq, born in 1923, in Boboshticë, Korçë district, resident of Tirana. Sentenced by the Supreme Court with decision No. 11 dated 28.5.1976 to death by firing squad.
The defendants, after being taken to the place of execution, were informed by the Deputy Prosecutor General, comrade Sotiraq Samara, that their request for clemency was rejected by the Presidium of the People's Assembly, with decision No. 381/1, dated 28.6.1976, and the convicts were told what they had to say.
The convicted Koço Plaku, in his speech, said; "I am guilty of everything, but I am not a spy."
While the convicts Milto Gjikopulli and Andrea Manço did not speak at all.
After the execution was carried out and the doctor assisted in death, the burial took place.
The minutes were compiled in 3 copies, of which 2 copies were sent to the Directorate of Investigation, and 1 copy was kept in the archive of the Directorate of Internal Affairs in Tirana./
DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE DPB TIRANA DEPUTY PROSECUTOR GENERAL
Kadri Gojashi Sotiraq Samara
DEPUTY PROSECUTOR GENERAL INVESTIGATOR
Sotiraq Samara Koço Josifi
doctor
Nevzat VIGANI
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