SIPA IN THE CENTER OF SCANDAL: Commission 'rigged' questions to eliminate unsuitable cadets, did Nešić's favorites pass?

(Patria) - The competition for the admission of cadets – 15 junior inspectors in the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) is becoming another scandal shaking this police agency.

Namely, candidates could apply for the competition from September 5 to October 5, and in recent months, candidates have had tests of general knowledge, foreign language proficiency, and physical fitness.

It was precisely in the general knowledge test that an unusual situation occurred, when candidates were given several questions that were not published on the SIPA website. Some candidates warned the Commission about this because the Decision on the method, manner, and system of scoring stipulated that the questions in the written test would be selected from 500 questions previously available on the website, but the Commission continued with the procedure.

However, the members of the Commission, which included Žarko Kalem, Novak Mijović, Suad Hasanović from SIPA, and two members from the Ministry of Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina, included at least six questions among the 30 questions that were not among the 500 published questions. So, future junior inspectors were supposed to know who participated in the Battle of Ankara in 1405, how many amino acids a protein has, where electricity is located in a conductor, what the olive branch symbol on the UN flag represents?

Some candidates interpret that these questions were included in the test to eliminate undesirable candidates and allow favored ones to pass. In this way, the Commission put candidates in an unequal position, given that it is evident that some candidates already had the questions in advance. Cadets were notified on September 24 that the questions were available on the website in the folder - documents - tests for the general knowledge test. Since these questions represent a quarter of the total, it means that the questions not found among the 500 questions intended for the general knowledge test significantly reduced the candidates' chances of passing the test and advancing in the procedure.

The fact that the authorities have done nothing after this information is also shown by the announced date for checking the health fitness of the cadets. At the beginning of this month, the date for checking health fitness was published, which will be carried out at the Center for Occupational Medicine and Sports East Sarajevo on February 17, 2025 (Monday) at 7:15 AM. All candidates listed by codes in the table are required to attend the health status check.

Health examination for junior inspectors scheduled

After the complete testing procedure is completed, a list of candidates based on their success will be compiled, after which candidates will have the opportunity to appeal to the Appeals Committee of Police Officers of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Regardless of the final list of candidates – junior inspectors, the alarm should already be activated among the authorities and the commission's work should be reviewed, instead of waiting for the final list to be published, which will surely be appealed.

The responsibility is even greater because there are claims that the largest number of junior inspectors will be from among Serbs. It should not be forgotten that it was precisely in this competition that jobs were promised by the now arrested and dismissed Minister of Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Nenad Nešić.

The Minister of Security of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Nenad Nešić (DNS), found himself in the midst of a scandal after promising employment at a pre-election rally in Višegrad on September 16, using his influence to benefit his political supporters in three state police agencies: SIPA, the Border Police of BiH, and DKPT.

Nešić promised jobs

“I don't know if you've seen it, a competition for the Border Police was announced a few days ago, shout if you have someone to apply, to compete, I will help. I will arrange with my colleagues in the Council of Ministers for Višegrad to get a certain number of people who will work in the Border Police. Also, there is a competition in SIPA, there is a competition in DKPT. We are talking about security agencies where I can somehow step in,” Nešić said at a political rally, and the transcript of the recording was published by Transparency International, which reported everything to the Central Election Commission of BiH.

And that Nešić was telling the truth is shown by the published competitions. The Border Police of BiH announced a public competition on September 10 for the admission of 25 (twenty-five) cadets of the XIII (13th) class with at least a completed VI level of education for the second level of access in the rank of ''Junior Inspector'' and 125 cadets with at least a completed IV level of education for the first level of access in the rank of ''Police Officer''.

This case with the admission of cadets in SIPA shows that the procedure is not legal, and it is up to the leadership of SIPA to stop the procedure.

Criminal charges have been filed against the members of the Commission with the Prosecutor's Office of BiH, and there is also work for the internal control of SIPA.