Agony over Galić continues: Not even an Interpol warrant is enough for the Council of Ministers of BiH to dismiss the fugitive!

(Patria) - Fugitive from BiH justice Zoran Galić is still formally the Deputy Director of the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA), and the Council of Ministers of BiH lacks a unified stance on his dismissal from that position.

On two occasions, ministers from the Bosniak constituent people did not want to vote for the proposed dismissal based on a personal request, and there is no agreement from ministers of Croat and Serb constituent peoples for his dismissal. The Council of Ministers of BiH will hold a session on Thursday, but the agenda does not include an item concerning Galić. It is known that Galić is one of the key figures of the HDZ BiH, and for two terms he was the Director of the BiH Border Police, a candidate for the Director of the FUP, and participated in meetings of the HDZ political family, so it is clear why the Chairperson of the Council of Ministers of BiH, Borjana Krišto, is fighting fiercely against his dismissal.

The Independent Board of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH, which is supposed to conduct the procedure for electing a new director of SIPA, will not deal with Galić's case again. The Independent Board claims that they proposed Galić's dismissal to the Ministry of Security of BiH, but everything remained with the Council of Ministers of BiH. The Minister of Security of BiH, Nenad Nešić, however, claims that the Independent Board did not submit a precise request for dismissal and that they submitted a proposal to the Council of Ministers of BiH for dismissal based on his personal request, which was filed by Galić's lawyers.

However, the Director of SIPA, Darko Ćulum, confirmed to Faktor what Patria had previously reported, namely that Galić has not justified his absence from work since July 8. Neither sick leave nor his request for annual leave has been accepted. After all this, he requested early dismissal due to meeting the conditions for retirement. Ćulum is of the opinion that Galić should be dismissed from duty at his personal request.

"The man does not want to be the Deputy Director, he has his reasons, and now someone is arguing about it. He has not justified his sick leave. I can dismiss him on that ground as well. So, I can dismiss him on one ground or the other, but his personal request for dismissal is not being discussed. But that is already politics," said Ćulum.

The BiH Prosecutor's Office suspects Galić of abuse of office and receiving a bribe while he was the Director of the BiH Border Police. Galić knew that the Prosecutor's Office wanted to question him, and when he heard that an arrest operation was being prepared, he fled BiH by illegally crossing the border. This has been confirmed by the BiH Prosecutor's Office.

In Zoran Galić's case, the Law on SIPA and the Law on Police Officers apply.

However, the Law on Police Officers of BiH leaves the possibility that the Law on Labor in BiH Institutions can also be applied. And that law clearly specifies the circumstances under which an employment contract can be terminated, namely: if the employee has been absent from work for five consecutive working days without justification, or seven working days with interruptions within a period of six months. Galić's time sheet for July remained empty from July 8, as he did not provide proof of his absence, which was also confirmed by Ćulum.

Therefore, the Council of Ministers of BiH has the legal basis to dismiss Galić, or to order the termination of his employment contract due to unjustified absence, and thus end this almost two-month agony that casts a shadow on this police agency.

It should not be forgotten that an Interpol red notice has been issued for Galić, which is an additional aggravating circumstance for the Council of Ministers of BiH to continue keeping a person with such a burden in office.