Representatives of the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Šemsudin Mehmedović and Jasmin Emrić, announced today that they have filed criminal charges with the Prosecutor’s Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina against the Director of the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA), Darko Ćulum, and the Chairperson of the Council of Ministers of BiH, Borjana Krišto.
Mehmedović and Emrić spoke at a press conference about the details of the charges against Ćulum, who earlier this year filed a request for dismissal from the position of Director of SIPA, but then withdrew it, explaining that ‘the Council of Ministers did not consider his request or make a decision on it’.
Emrić said that state institutions are not working and are not exercising their powers, from, as he said, the Council of Ministers to ‘in the specific case of SIPA and the relevant departments within SIPA’.
“We have filed criminal charges against the Chairperson of the Council of Ministers of BiH Borjana Krišto because she did not react in a timely manner and against the former director of SIPA Darko Ćulum, because he is a former director. He has, in accordance with the law, lost all rights as a police officer. In accordance with Article 119 of the Law on Police Officers, he does not have the status of a police officer. That article of the law is clear, an officer who resigns is terminated and automatically loses the status of a police officer. We hope that the Prosecutor’s Office will open an investigation into these criminal charges,” said Emrić.
Mehmedović stated, among other things, that a criminal charge was also filed against Borjana Krišto who, as he said, ‘did not take any action related to the Ćulum case for four months, even though she was aware that on March 18, 2025, his employment at SIPA had ended and that he had automatically lost the status of a police officer’.
“Therefore, there is a basis for suspicion that Borjana Krišto, by failing to perform an official act and duty, committed the criminal offense of abuse of official position or authority. The second criminal offense relates to the legally established obligation that, as the Chairwoman of the Council of Ministers of BiH, in the event that a minister resigns, she must appoint a successor within 15 days. Although almost six months have passed since the dismissal of the Minister of Security and despite the fact that five heads of the parliamentary caucuses in the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH have requested the appointment of Nebojša Vukanović, Borjana Krišto has not yet, contrary to the law, proposed either Vukanović or anyone else as Minister of Security of BiH,” said Mehmedović.
Mehmedović and Emrić also warned of the need for proportional representation of the constituent peoples.
“The trend of eliminating Bosniaks from the institutions of Bosnia and Herzegovina continues, especially in leadership positions, and has been going on for several years. We will strongly oppose this and insist on a balance in accordance with the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, thus restoring the shaken trust in institutions, restoring hope to Bosniaks and the dignity of the Bosnian man,” said Mehmedović, Fena news agency writes.
