Halilović dismissed, Bašić to manage police until new commissioner appointed

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - The Sarajevo Canton Government at today's session adopted a Decision on the dismissal of Mevludin Halilović from the position of police commissioner in the Ministry of Interior of Sarajevo Canton, based on the proposal of the Independent Board of the Sarajevo Canton Assembly, the Government of Sarajevo Canton announced. 

Halilović is also stripped of the rank of general police inspector and returns to the rank of chief inspector.

"Until the appointment of a police commissioner, in accordance with the Law on Internal Affairs of Sarajevo Canton, the head of the Criminal Police Sector in the Police Administration of the Ministry of Interior of Sarajevo Canton, chief inspector Milorad Bašić, will perform the duties of police commissioner," confirmed the Minister of Interior of Sarajevo Canton, Admir Katica. 

The Independent Board of the Sarajevo Canton Assembly on March 20 this year submitted to the Sarajevo Canton Government a Proposal for the dismissal of Halilović because his work for 2018 was rated as „unsatisfactory“.

The Sarajevo Canton Government, by a final Decision of March 14 this year, rejected as unfounded the police commissioner's objection and fully confirmed the Sarajevo Canton Government's Decision on the work of the police commissioner, by which he was rated as „unsatisfactory“ for 2018.

Thus, the conditions prescribed by law for the Sarajevo Canton Government to make a decision on dismissal in accordance with the Law on Internal Affairs of Sarajevo Canton were met.

The decision on the replacement of the police commissioner was made in accordance with Article 24 of the Law on Internal Affairs of Sarajevo Canton, which stipulates that if the police commissioner, due to termination of mandate, dismissal, resignation, illness, absence or other factual or legal reasons, cannot exercise his powers in managing the Police Administration, these duties are performed by the head of the Uniformed Police Sector, until the police commissioner is able to resume his duties or until a new police commissioner is appointed.

Furthermore, paragraph (3) of the same article of the Law stipulates that if the head of the Uniformed Police Sector is also prevented from performing these duties due to legal or other factual reasons, the head of the Criminal Police Sector replaces the police commissioner, until he is able to resume his duties or until a new police commissioner is appointed.  

The head of the Uniformed Police Sector, Vahid Ćosić, was dismissed from the position of police commissioner by a Decision of the Sarajevo Canton Government of November 18, 2016, and a Decision on amendments of the Sarajevo Canton Government of November 21, 2016, because during his second term as police commissioner, it was determined that the security situation in Sarajevo Canton was seriously compromised due to obvious failures in the work of the Police Administration he led.

Supporting these facts is the first-instance verdict of the Municipal Court in Sarajevo of October 9, 2018, which fully rejected Ćosić's lawsuit and fully confirmed the Sarajevo Canton Government's Decision on the justification and legality of the dismissal of Vahid Ćosić.