Interviews with candidates for SIPA Director on September 9: Are there Dodik's and Nešić's favorites?

(Patria) - For next Monday (September 9), the Independent Board of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina has scheduled interviews with candidates who have applied and meet the requirements of the Public Competition for conducting the selection procedure for the Director of the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA).

Among the registered candidates is Darko Ćulum, whose term expired in July. It is known that Ćulum enjoys the support of SNSD, but the question is whether this will be enough this time.

Other candidates are expected to attend the interview, including Goran Pisić, Head of Police of Brčko District, Slobodan Radinković, Head of the Police Administration of Doboj, Ljubiša Pandurević, Head of the Financial Intelligence Department of SIPA in Banja Luka, Vlado Jovanić, official of the Police Support Directorate of the MUP RS, Milosav Savković, Head of the Integrity and Legality Service in the MUP RS, and Zoran Savić from the Directorate for Coordination of Police Bodies (DKPT).

After the interviews are completed, the Independent Board will establish a ranking list of the five successful candidates, which will be sent to the Minister of Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Nenad Nešić. Regardless of the ranking list, Minister Nešić can choose one name and propose the appointment of the SIPA Director to the Council of Ministers of BiH.

What has been circulating about Ćulum for years is that he has long met the requirements for retirement, but
it is the duty of the Independent Board to establish all the facts.

At the end of June, Minister Nešić and Police Chief Pisić held an official meeting in Brčko, and unofficially, Pisić's name is highlighted as one of the main candidates for this position. Pisić visited the United States on an official visit in 2022, organized by the US Embassy, and his biography also states that he has extensive specialized experience of over 20 years in combating organized crime and drug trafficking in domestic and international frameworks.

What remains an unresolved problem burdening this police agency is the status of the fugitive Deputy Director of SIPA, Zoran Galić. He is suspected of abuse of office while he was the Director of the Border Police of BiH, and on July 8, he fled to Croatia and evaded arrest on the order of the BiH Prosecutor's Office.

Although he has not managed to justify his absence from work to this day, nor can he be paid, the Council of Ministers of BiH has not yet dismissed him from duty. An Interpol red notice has been issued for Galić. His legal team has filed a request for dismissal due to retirement. Ministers from the Bosniak constituent people do not want to vote for such a dismissal, which would enable him benefits. However, for now, any further steps have been halted, and Croatia has no intention of extraditing Galić, who has dual citizenship.

The Independent Board claims to have concluded the Galić case and left the possibility of dismissal to the Council of Ministers of BiH.

(A.V.)