New Police Law in RS Allows Hiring of Police Officers from Other Countries

BANJA LUKA, (Patria) - New amendments to the Law on Police and Internal Affairs in the Republic of Srpska, adopted by the entity Government, give the police director the authority to issue documents with false identities to police officers, as well as to hire police officers from other countries and provide them with false identities, reports the Patria agency.

In paragraph 5, Article 7 of the Law on Police and Internal Affairs in the Republic of Srpska, which needs to be confirmed by the National Assembly of the Republic of Srpska, it is stated: „Police officers, for the purpose of executing powers in the field of special investigative actions prescribed by the criminal procedure laws of the Republic of Srpska and Bosnia and Herzegovina, shall conduct the procedure of legendization before and after the issuance of an order to conduct an investigation, for the purpose of changing the identity of persons and producing appropriate documents for participation in legal transactions.“

In paragraph 6 of the same article, it is stated: „The procedure of legendization before the issuance of an order to conduct an investigation shall be initiated based on a decision of the director.“ 

In paragraph 7, it is stated: „For the implementation of the special investigative action 'use of undercover investigators and use of informants,' the Ministry shall engage a trained police officer of the Ministry, a police officer from another country, and exceptionally another person, if it is not possible to carry out that action in any other way.“

After the Law on Police and Internal Affairs in the Republic of Srpska is confirmed by the NSRS, it means that the Republic of Srpska will be able to hire police officers from other countries.