Independent Board of the Sarajevo Canton Assembly: We are surprised by the police commissioner's resignation

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - In order to objectively inform the public, and in light of several media reports in recent days concerning the alleged preparation for the dismissal of the police commissioner of the Sarajevo Canton Ministry of Internal Affairs Police Administration, Nusret Selimović, the Independent Board of the Sarajevo Canton Assembly wishes to inform the public that since the appointment of this convocation - on February 22, 2022, the Board has acted as an impartial body, free from any political influence, in accordance with the provisions of Article 25 of the Law on Internal Affairs of Sarajevo Canton, the Board's statement reads.

"In this regard, we inform the public that on August 15, 2022, the Independent Board proposed the dismissal of police commissioner Nusret Selimović to the Government of Sarajevo Canton. This was done based on the received notification from the Pension and Disability Insurance Fund of FBiH, number: FZ 3/5/1-45-3-1763-3/22 dated July 21, 2022, which indicates that Nusret Selimović had a total of 40 years, 0 months, and 17 days of insurance service as of July 1, 2022. Thus, he met the conditions for termination of employment in accordance with Article 118, Paragraph 1, Point d) of the Law on Police Officers of Sarajevo Canton, which stipulates that the employment of a police officer terminates when they have completed 40 years of insurance service, regardless of age," the statement from the Independent Board, signed by its president Adis Šečić, reads.

As further explained, based on the aforementioned proposal from the Independent Board, the Government of Sarajevo Canton, at its 95th session on November 3, 2022, passed Decision number: 02-04-36030-32/22, rejecting the Proposal for the dismissal of the police commissioner without further explanation.

"Since, prior to the Proposal for the dismissal of the police commissioner, the Independent Board received an act from the Police Administration number: 02/5-1-179/22 dated August 9, 2022, which states, among other things, that police commissioner Nusret Selimović will meet the condition for termination of employment based on 40 years of insurance service as of March 31, 2023, the Independent Board, after receiving the Decision from the Government of Sarajevo Canton, on December 21, 2022, in order to take timely and lawful actions within its jurisdiction, requested the Minister of Internal Affairs of Sarajevo Canton to provide, in accordance with his powers arising from Article 44, Paragraph 2 of the Law on Internal Affairs of Sarajevo Canton, data from the official records of the Ministry regarding the recorded insurance service of police commissioner Nusret Selimović, specifically the date on which he meets the condition for termination of employment based on 40 years of insurance service, all because the Independent Board possesses different data regarding the police commissioner's insurance service," the Board's statement further explains.

On December 26, 2022, the Independent Board received Information number: 01-76/22 from the Minister of Internal Affairs, which states that he requested data from the Ministry's official records on the police commissioner's insurance service, and emphasized in the Information that the Ministry does not possess any other data that the Independent Board does not already have.

On the agenda of the 11th session of the Independent Board on January 31, 2023, among other items, were points based on which the Independent Board would evaluate the work of the police commissioner for 2022, but these were not discussed because the commissioner did not respond to the invitation, about which the Independent Board was informed via email shortly before the session.

"This Independent Board is surprised by the resignation of the police commissioner, which was submitted to us on January 31, 2023, by the Minister of Internal Affairs of Sarajevo Canton, especially because our cooperation so far has been at a high level, based on professional relationships. Through regular meetings, we did not have the opportunity to hear from the police commissioner that he was experiencing any kind of pressure. In this context, the numerous media reports in recent days, accompanied by public statements from the police commissioner insinuating alleged political pressure, are incomprehensible to us, and such pressure certainly does not come from the Independent Board, which is an independent body, free from all political influence," concludes the statement from the Independent Board of the Sarajevo Canton Assembly.