Galić sought compensation for accommodation and separate living from Croatia, appeal pending before the Committee, HDZ only cared that he wasn't dismissed

By: Amra Vrabac

Fugitive Zoran Galić, and as of October 23rd, former Deputy Director of the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA), used all legal means in his escape from the BiH judiciary to find a way to secure additional money for himself from the budget of BiH institutions.

Namely, after SIPA Director Darko Ćulum marked zeros for him in the attendance log because he did not justify his absence with sick leave or annual leave, thus preventing the fugitive from receiving his salary from July 8, 2024, since he has been hiding in Croatia, Galić's legal team tried to secure other funds for their client.

Thus, Ćulum received a request for Galić to be paid the costs of "accommodation and compensation for separate living" even though he is on the run. Ćulum rejected such a request, but Galić's demands did not end there.

Against Ćulum's decision, the lawyers filed an appeal with the Committee for Appeals of Police Officers as the second-instance body, which has not yet made a decision on that appeal. In cases that are quite complicated, as this one was, the Committee can make a decision within 60 days.

As Patria learns, certain members of the Committee for Appeals of Police Officers, specifically the representative of the Ministry of Justice of BiH, insisted that the appeal be accepted and that Galić be allowed to receive the requested compensation.

However, the Council of Ministers of BiH finally dismissed Galić from the position of Deputy Director of SIPA this week, so the appeal itself no longer has legal basis. The session of the Committee for Appeals of Police Officers will be held at the end of this month, at which point this story will finally be concluded.

Galić dismissed at his own request after all

Those who followed this case in more detail noticed Galić's persistence in obtaining any compensation, and equal to that was the persistence of ministers from the HDZ and the Chairperson of the Council of Ministers of BiH in not allowing Galić's dismissal. It is no secret that Galić was a cadre of that party, and he served as the Director of the Border Police of BiH for two terms, and previously as the Police Commissioner of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the West Herzegovina Canton. Galić was also a candidate for the Director of the Federal Police Administration, but that appointment never happened.

According to Patria's sources, the HDZ was only concerned that Galić be dismissed at his own request. And after the ordeal that lasted almost three months since Galić's legal team submitted a request for early dismissal due to meeting the conditions for retirement, the Council of Ministers of BiH dismissed him precisely based on that request. The Minister of Security of BiH, Nenad Nešić, claimed that he would be the first to propose Galić's dismissal, but that there was no legal basis because the Independent Committee had not conducted disciplinary proceedings nor submitted a request for dismissal. Ultimately, a solution was proposed for his dismissal at his own request, which was accepted.

Only for the session on October 30th did the Independent Committee prepare the item for initiating disciplinary proceedings, but now there is no need for that.

When the Minister of Foreign Affairs of BiH, Elmedin Konaković, announced that Galić had been dismissed, he also stated that a conclusion was adopted preventing him from receiving severance pay and other benefits. However, it was strange why the HDZ would support such a request while they had been opposing Galić's dismissal all along. But unofficial information suggests that Galić will try to secure the right to severance pay from the MUP ZHK, however much that sounds like science fiction at the moment. Let's recall, Galić has the status of a suspect, not an accused. Nor have disciplinary proceedings been conducted. It is possible that in some legal-magical way, he will briefly obtain employment in the MUP ZHK and thus be allowed to receive benefits. However, whether this will actually happen will be seen in the coming period.

The Council of Ministers of BiH itself did not delve into considering his pension, as there is no evidence or facts that Zoran Galić meets the conditions for retirement.

The BiH Prosecutor's Office accuses Galić of abuse of position and receiving a bribe while he was the director of the Border Police of BiH. He evaded arrest on July 8th and crossed into Croatia illegally. Several people were arrested in the same "Kings" operation.

The Council of Ministers of BiH called on the Independent Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH to announce a public competition to fill the position of Deputy Director of the State Investigation and Protection Agency. We will write about who might take this seat soon.