[ALBSA-Info] US-Albania Extradition Treaty in Effect

[Agron Alibali]

Daily News (New York) 

October 5, 2001, Friday SPORTS FINAL REPLATE EDITION 

NEWS; Pg. 44 

'33 PACT HELPS U.S. NAB SLAY SUSPECT 

BY BARBARA ROSS DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER 


Authorities dusted off a long-forgotten extradition treaty to nab an Albanian wanted in the 1997 murder of a college student in the East Village. 

Bernando Martinaj, 24, the prime suspect in the fatal stabbing of Bojan Radulovic, a student at New York Institute of Technology, was ordered held without bail yesterday after he was returned to the U.S. 

Manhattan District Attorney Robert Morgenthau said Martinaj was extradited under terms of a 1933 agreement signed with Albania during the administration of then-President Franklin Roosevelt. Officials said Radulovic, a 25-year-old Long Islander, was in a Third Ave. bar with friends when one of his pals bumped into Martinaj, who was partying there with his own group. 

Words were exchanged as the two groups left the bar and headed to a pizza parlor on Third Ave. near 12th St. 

As Martinaj left the pizzeria, officials said, he drew a knife and stabbed Radulovic as well as a friend who came to Radulovic's aid. Radulovic died of his wounds. The second victim survived. 

NYPD Detective Peter Salerno said Martinaj, who had been living with his family in Brooklyn, was quickly identified by a witness, but he vanished after the stabbing. 

Martinaj fled first to New Jersey, then to Connecticut and San Diego before landing in his native Albania, Salerno said. 

Interpol, the international police agency, found Martinaj late last year, after he was arrested in Albania on charges of possessing drugs, ammunition and forged documents. 

Martinaj's father, Sadik, said his son is innocent and that prosecutors are using the wrong name. He said his son's real name is Bernard Martini. 
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