Opposition from RS interested in appointing Security Minister and Indirect Taxation Authority, but not in establishing Darko Ćulum's responsibility

The voting of the opposition from RS at yesterday's emergency sessions showed that there is no genuine will to resolve the case of Darko Ćulum's return to the position of Director of the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA).

At the 26th emergency session, the opposition from RS did not support the request for an urgent procedure to consider the Bill on Amendments to the Law on the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA), which would prevent scenarios like the one with Darko Ćulum in the future, or cases where there is no deputy director.

At the 27th emergency session held yesterday, the opposition from RS was the only one that did not support the conclusions regarding SIPA, while it supported those concerning the purchase of a building for the Indirect Taxation Authority (UIO) and the initiation of the procedure for appointing the Security Minister (Nebojša Vukanović).

The opposition from RS did not participate much in the debate regarding Darko Ćulum's return, while at least three SNSD members actively engaged and defended Ćulum.

While there is no will in the BiH Parliament to clarify the Ćulum case, the silence of the BiH Prosecutor's Office is also concerning. To Detektor's inquiries about the legality of Ćulum's return, as well as about the criminal complaints filed against Ćulum by state deputies, the BiH Prosecutor's Office has not provided an answer.

For one of the proposed conclusions regarding SIPA, there were four votes in favor from RS, and Darko Babalj's vote could have been decisive, but he abstained.

As announced by the Speaker of the House, Denis Bećirović, the Collegium will decide on these conclusions as a commission at the next session.

The conclusions are as follows: The House of Representatives of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly requests the responsible officials and competent services within SIPA to, in accordance with Article 119, point 1 of the Law on Police Officers (“Official Gazette of BiH”, Nos. 27/04, 63/04, 5/06, 58/06, 15/08, 63/08, 35/09 and 07/12), which clearly stipulates that a police officer's employment relationship ceases and they automatically lose their status as a police officer in case of voluntary resignation, to urgently issue a decision on the termination of Darko Ćulum's employment, effective March 18, 2025, as he voluntarily resigned on that date. And the House of Representatives of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly requests the Council of Ministers of BiH to urgently appoint an acting director of SIPA, in accordance with Article 55a, paragraphs 2 and 4 of the Law on Administration (“Official Gazette of BiH”, Nos. 32/02 and 72/17).

A proposal for a conclusion by MP Nihad Omerović, which reads:

“The House of Representatives of the BiH Parliamentary Assembly calls on the BiH Prosecutor's Office to carry out the legally prescribed actions within its jurisdiction, related to the actions of the former Director of SIPA, as well as the responsible persons within the Council of Ministers of BiH for actions related to the failure to appoint a director of SIPA after Darko Ćulum voluntarily left the position of Director of SIPA.”

And while the conclusions are being put aside, Ćulum has been performing his duties as director since July 14. Just yesterday, while the debate on his status was ongoing in Parliament, Ćulum visited the Agency for Education and Professional Training of Personnel (Agency), where he was hosted by Director Marko Vujević. Ćulum also visited 15 SIPA cadets who are training for the rank of junior inspector and 15 cadets training for the rank of police officer.

On March 18, Ćulum resigned from his position as Director of SIPA, following the call of the RS leadership to abandon institutions that the National Assembly of RS declared unconstitutional and banned from operating within the territory of the RS entity. Besides SIPA, these include the HJPC, the Court, and the Prosecutor's Office of BiH. Although the Constitutional Court of BiH issued a temporary measure on March 7, suspending these laws, and a final decision at the end of May, the decisions of the Constitutional Court of BiH clearly do not apply to Ćulum. Ćulum left SIPA without being dismissed by the Council of Ministers of BiH. He did not appear at SIPA headquarters in Lukavica for almost four months, and he announced his return on July 9, just a few days after Milorad Dodik appeared in the BiH Court and his detention measure was lifted. On July 9, Nenad Stevandić and Radovan Višković went through the same procedure. All three are suspected of attacking the constitutional order. Although Ćulum is one of the direct executors of political orders, he returned to SIPA without any sanctions. However, it seems that the international community is no longer interested in the legal and constitutional order of BiH either.