Independent Board Session: Applications for SIPA Director Open

(Patria) - The Independent Board will hold a session today starting at 5:15 PM, with the agenda including the opening of received applications for the Public Call to conduct the candidate selection procedure for the election of the Director of the State Investigation and Protection Agency.

The agenda could be supplemented due to the new situation in the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) following the escape from arrest of SIPA Deputy Director Zoran Galić.

As confirmed to Patria by Enes Obralija, Chairman of the Independent Board, seven applications were received for the SIPA director position, which will be opened and reviewed today to determine whether they meet all formal and legal requirements for further procedure.

Also, given the recent death of Uroš Pena, who was a member of the Independent Board, Obralija said he will inform the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, i.e., initiate the procedure to fill this position. However, this procedure does not affect the competition procedure for the SIPA director because a quorum for the Board's work exists.

Speaking about the case of Zoran Galić, Obralija said that the Independent Board has not received any official information from any institution, but learned of his escape to Croatia from the media.

Although the Independent Board is competent to initiate the dismissal of directors and deputy directors of police agencies, in this case it is still not possible.

Given that the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina, i.e., Chief Prosecutor Milanko Kajganić, informed the public that Zoran Galić illegally left Bosnia and Herzegovina to avoid arrest, it is expected that the Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina will officially inform the Independent Board about this so that the procedure for a possible dismissal can be initiated.