HIDAA said the charges were the result of an investigation into Pazaj’s finances. According to the investigation, Pazaj did not disclose her full income or conflicts of interest when she was the chief of the Ministry of the Economy’s Metrology department, which deals with commercial activity.
Pazaj failed to report that her husband owned a private company, instead citing her son’s work in Italy as the source of €64,000.
A Balkan Insight investigation in July 2010 found a conflict of interest between Pazaj and another company in which her husband owned shares, PKP Rilindja. Pazaj’s office licensed the company as an authorized cash register distributor. The investigation found that the company sold inferior machines.
Pazaj denied accusations that she knowingly certified poor quality machines.
The prosecutor’s office in the Albanian capital of Tirane will decide whether or not to indict Pazaj and try her case in court. She could face up to two years in prison.
Six people in Pazaj's department were arrested last November for corruption.
