Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08TIRANA793
2008-11-04 15:36:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Tirana
Cable title:
MEDIA ATTACKS CONTINUE ON PG'S Office
how-toVZCZCXRO2798 PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG DE RUEHTI #0793 3091536 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 041536Z NOV 08 FM AMEMBASSY TIRANA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7556 RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS TIRANA 000793
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EUR/SCE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL AL
SUBJECT: MEDIA ATTACKS CONTINUE ON PG'S Office
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PLEASE TREAT ACCORDINGLY
UNCLAS TIRANA 000793
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EUR/SCE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL AL
SUBJECT: MEDIA ATTACKS CONTINUE ON PG'S Office
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PLEASE TREAT ACCORDINGLY
1. (U) Over the weekend, two pro-PM Berisha media outlets unleashed
another wave of attacks on Prosecutor General (PG) Ina Rama. TV
Klan, one of the main pro-GOA TV outlets, aired an editorial which
claimed Rama has smeared GOA officials during the course of her
investigation of the Gerdec tragedy. It went on to say that Rama
has abused her position and is "destroying" the case by "selling"
information obtained during the investigation.
2. (U) Not to be outdone, TV Klan's newspaper, Our Time, led with an
editorial which claimed Rama's "political" investigation appears to
be violating the law and accused her of using "communist" tactics.
It too criticized Rama for releasing results of the investigation
and called on the Minister of Justice Enkelejd Alibeaj to
investigate Rama. The screed ended with a vague reference to
"Ambassadors" who will believe everything Rama says, if Alibeaj does
not act.
3. (SBU) Comment: If past practice is any guide, these media
attacks likely signal the government's next move in an ongoing
campaign to undermine the independence of the PG's Office. Whether
directed by the PM (or one of his lieutenants) or not, it is clear
that these latest tactics are nothing more than an attempt to get
her to toe the GOA line and go soft on the investigations of the
Gerdec and Fazlic cases with their possibly damaging implications
for the government.
WITHERS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR EUR/SCE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL AL
SUBJECT: MEDIA ATTACKS CONTINUE ON PG'S Office
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PLEASE TREAT ACCORDINGLY
1. (U) Over the weekend, two pro-PM Berisha media outlets unleashed
another wave of attacks on Prosecutor General (PG) Ina Rama. TV
Klan, one of the main pro-GOA TV outlets, aired an editorial which
claimed Rama has smeared GOA officials during the course of her
investigation of the Gerdec tragedy. It went on to say that Rama
has abused her position and is "destroying" the case by "selling"
information obtained during the investigation.
2. (U) Not to be outdone, TV Klan's newspaper, Our Time, led with an
editorial which claimed Rama's "political" investigation appears to
be violating the law and accused her of using "communist" tactics.
It too criticized Rama for releasing results of the investigation
and called on the Minister of Justice Enkelejd Alibeaj to
investigate Rama. The screed ended with a vague reference to
"Ambassadors" who will believe everything Rama says, if Alibeaj does
not act.
3. (SBU) Comment: If past practice is any guide, these media
attacks likely signal the government's next move in an ongoing
campaign to undermine the independence of the PG's Office. Whether
directed by the PM (or one of his lieutenants) or not, it is clear
that these latest tactics are nothing more than an attempt to get
her to toe the GOA line and go soft on the investigations of the
Gerdec and Fazlic cases with their possibly damaging implications
for the government.
WITHERS