Exposed by Kallxo.com, these alleged offenses led to their indictment in August 2024 for abuse of official position or authority. Endrit Shala is alleged to have unlawfully appointed a company owned by his brother-in-law as the inspection body for fuel quality in Kosovo in May 2019, enabling it to gain €732,642.28. In November 2020, Vesel Krasniqi signed a regulation that transferred fuel quality control from Kosovo Customs to private operators. He then awarded a contract to the Swiss company SICPA SA for fuel marking and monitoring, which according to the prosecutor caused over €11 million in public damages. The initial court hearing took place in November 2024.

According to a report aired by the investigative show Kallxo Përnime on 15 March 2021, irregularities in the engagement of fuel quality inspection bodies have been identified. The investigation found that in May 2019, then-Minister of Trade and Industry Endrit Shala appointed two companies to oversee fuel quality control in Kosovo—one of which, Euro Inspekt, was owned by his brother-in-law, Valdet Teneqja.

Valdet Teneqja denied that his appointment was influenced by his family ties to Minister Shala, stating that he had overseen fuel quality control at the Ministry since 2008 and was an expert in the field. Meanwhile, Shala claimed that his signature on his brother-in-law's appointment was purely ceremonial, and that the decision was made by commissions and other departments, not him.

The Kallxo.com investigation further alleged that an administrative instruction issued in November 2020 by the Ministry of Trade and Industry, under Minister Vesel Krasniqi, risked creating a fuel marking monopoly—ultimately raising fuel prices and passing the costs onto fuel companies and Kosovo’s citizens. Administrative Instruction 09/2020 on the Control and Quality of Liquid Petroleum Fuels mandated a five-year contract with a single company for nationwide fuel marking and monitoring. Following its adoption, Krasniqi appointed the Swiss company SICPA SA in December 2020. The Kallxo investigation reports that this decision was expected to secure the company approximately €30 million in projected revenue, including VAT, over the five-year contract period. Notably, the regulation transferred fuel quality control from Kosovo Customs to a private inspection body.

Both Endrit Shala and Vesel Krasniqi were Ministers nominated by NISMA, a party in the coalition government.

The findings by Kallxo led to formal investigations into both Endrit Shala and Vesel Krasniqi. In his statement to the Prosecution in November 2023, Endrit Shala explained that for the decision he signed on 30 May 2019, he relied on an opinion from the Anti-Corruption Agency, which supposedly clarified that Valdet Teneqja was not considered a close family member under the law. Shala also noted that Euro Inspekt had previously been authorised to operate by former ministers.

Vesel Krasniqi, in his statement to the Prosecution in July 2023, claimed that he received a request from the Ministry's Secretary-General to initiate procedures for regulating liquid fuel quality control, as the issue was raised in the 2019 External Audit Report. He also justified removing Kosovo Customs' authority to oversee fuel quality, stating that Kosovo Customs had failed to fulfil its responsibilities for fuel quality control and lacked accreditation from the ministry at the time.

On 30 August 2024, the Special Prosecutor's Office of the Republic of Kosovo filed an indictment at the Basic Court in Pristina against the former Ministers of Trade and Industry. They were charged with the criminal offense of abuse of official position or authority.

Endrit Shala, as the former Minister of Trade and Industry, was accused of deliberately neglecting his official duties to financially benefit another person. According to the indictment, on 30 May 2019, Shala bypassed conflict of interest laws and appointed Euro Inspekt, a company owned by his brother-in-law, as an inspection body for assessing fuel quality compliance in Kosovo. This allegedly enabled the company to gain €732,642.28. As a result, Shala was charged with Abuse of Official Position or Authority.

Vesel Krasniqi, in his capacity as Minister of Trade and Industry, was accused of deliberately exceeding his authority by unlawfully initiating and approving Administrative Instruction No. 09/2020 on the Control and Quality of Liquid Petroleum Fuels. Signed on 11 November 2020, the regulation allegedly contained provisions that favoured private interests over the public good.

Specifically, Articles 51 and 54 removed Kosovo Customs' authority to assess fuel quality upon import and entry into the country, transferring that responsibility to private economic operators. Prior to this change, Kosovo Customs conducted these assessments without additional expenses. Furthermore, the indictment states that in a non-transparent and irregular process, the Ministry of Trade and Industry appointed the Swiss company SICPA SA on 30 December 2020 as the entity responsible for fuel marking and monitoring in the country. The prosecution further states that the contract, signed on 14 January 2021, caused €11,235,706.31 in public damages by increasing petroleum products costs to benefit a private company. The decision allegedly raised fuel prices for consumers in Kosovo and exposed the state to potential legal action due to contractual obligations. As a result of these alleged actions, Krasniqi was charged with Abuse of Official Position or Authority. The indictment does not allege any wrongdoing by the company SICPA SA.

Along with the main sentence, the Prosecution sought an additional penalty for both defendants: a ban on holding any position in public administration or public service.

On 27 November 2024, the initial hearing was held at the Basic Court in Pristina, where Shala and Krasniqi pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The case against the former Ministers highlights corruption, abuse of power, and conflicts of interest within Kosovo's public sector. The indictment focuses on the actions of public officials. Their decisions, which according to the prosecution also benefited private entities, exposed vulnerabilities in public procurement and in the case of Endrit Shala revealed potential risks of nepotism and clientelism. The misuse of official duties is a recurring issue among Kosovo's public officials, undermining the integrity of public institutions. With the public bearing the costs of these decisions, the case underscores the need for greater transparency, accountability, and a systemic fight against corruption in Kosovo's public institutions.

^{* SICPA SA is committed to the highest standards of integrity and compliance. Fuel marking systems are utilized by governments worldwide with the objective of combating crimes such as illegal fuel trade, tax evasion, fraud, and corruption, thereby preventing significant economic harm to the public. SICPA SA applied for the fuel marking contract with the Republic of Kosovo upon a public invitation by the Ministry of Trade and Industry in the year 2020. Having complied with the tender process conducted by the Republic of Kosovo and relying on the ensuing award of the fuel marking contract, SICPA SA prepared to implement the fuel marking contract and made significant local investments in this respect. SICPA SA's good faith investments were frustrated due to a new government of Kosovo's decision to discontinue the awarded contract. SICPA SA never received any payment or indemnification from the Republic of Kosovo under the fuel marking contract as can easily be verified in Kosovo.}