BiH Border Police Officer Accused of Abusing Minor Remains on Job, Fined

The Disciplinary Commission of the Border Police of Bosnia and Herzegovina has fined police officer Emir Škaljo, who was suspected in 2015 of abusing minor A.S. from Zenica, Patria learns.

Such a decision by the Disciplinary Commission of the BiH Border Police has caused resentment among some employees in this state police agency. They expected Škaljo to be suspended from work. They believe he has damaged the credibility of the Border Police of Bosnia and Herzegovina. A border police officer cannot have a criminal past. And, they recall, this officer has already been convicted twice.

Škaljo was suspended from the BiH Border Police in the summer of 2015 due to allegations that he inflicted bodily harm on a minor female. Škaljo earlier told the media he denied any involvement in any violence against the minor girl. He said he did nothing from the indictment.

For the lenient punishment towards Škaljo, some employees of the BiH Border Police blame Vladimir Popović, head of the Office for Internal Control and Professional Standards in the BiH Border Police, and Viktorija Damjanović, president of the Disciplinary Commission of the BiH Border Police. They also reproach members of the disciplinary commission Radiša Samardžija and Mirel Imamović. They believe they should not have allowed Škaljo to remain in the ranks of the Border Police after such serious violations.

This is not the only case where police officer Škaljo has violated the law. The Center for Investigative Journalism (CIN) reported in 2009 that Škaljo has a thick police file. That very year, Škaljo became a border police officer.

According to CIN's reporting, Škaljo was linked to motor vehicle theft, burglary, and enabling the use of narcotic drugs.

- He was sentenced in 2007 to one month in prison, suspended for one year, for the criminal offense of enabling and using narcotic drugs. The verdict was expunged from the records in January 2009. From the SIPA report, it can be seen that Škaljo is in the operational police records for various criminal offenses - writes the CIN report.

Emir Škaljo's father-in-law is Mustafa Ovčina, head of the Administration Directorate in the BiH Border Police. Slobodna Bosna reported in March 2016 that a witty employee of the BiH Border Police said that a bus is needed to transport Ovčina's family members employed in the BiH Border Police to work.

Ovčina replied to him: "You are right, only you, on that basis, should drive the bus."

A Patria source claims that Škaljo was kept on the job in the BiH Border Police without the knowledge of Director Zoran Galić.