Three Albanians charged with murder in blast of ammo disposal factory

TIRANA, July 26 – The prosecutor general’s office, on Friday, said three people, have been charged with committing murder in connection with the March 15 blast which killed 26 and injured 300 people. Among those charged are a Defense Ministry official, and the owner and the manager of the Albanian company assigned to destroying the ammunition. On March 15, a series of massive explosions at an ammunition depot near the capital, Tirana, killed 26 people, injured 302 and destroyed or damaged some 5,500 homes.
Ylli Pinari of the Defense Ministry’s Meico arms sale company, Mihal Delijorgji, owner of the Alb Demil ammunition disposal company, and company manager, Dritan Minxolli, first investigated for negligence have now been accused of murder, a charge that could bring a sentence of imprisonment if proven. Pinari was also charged with abuse of post. Former Defense Minister Fatmir Mediu resigned following the blast and parliament has since stripped him of his immunity, but he has not been with a crime. He has repeatedly denied breaking any law. Following the blast, the former army chief of staff and other senior army officials were also fired.
The country’s political opposition has accused the government of corruption in dealing with the disposal of obsolete weapons, and has urged Prime Minister Sali Berisha to resign.
Some 100,000 tons of excess ammunition, mostly Russian and Chinese artillery shells made in the 1960s or earlier, are stored in former army depots across Albania. (Tirana Times Staff)