Employees of the regional office of the BiH Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) in Banja Luka were told by their superiors to leave their offices, based on a notification from the RS Ministry of Interior that they would block SIPA’s work in the territory of this entity.
It was confirmed to BHRT that the employees left their offices, and that they were informed that the SIPA headquarters in Banja Luka would be blocked by members of the RS Ministry of Interior.
SIPA announced that members of the RS Ministry of Interior did not come in front of the premises of the Regional Office in Banja Luka, and work at the Agency’s headquarters in East Sarajevo is proceeding without hindrance.
“Regarding the current situation and media captions on portals related to the takeover of the facilities of the State Investigation and Protection Agency by the Ministry of Interior of Republika Srpska, we would like to inform the public that members of the Republika Srpska Ministry of Interior did not come in front of the premises of the Regional Office in Banja Luka. Work at the premises of the SIPA headquarters in East Sarajevo is proceeding without hindrance,” SIPA announced.
The Director of the Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA), Darko Ćulum, has spoken out about the request of the Republika Srpska Ministry of Interior to the Regional Office in Banja Luka to vacate the premises during the day. Ćulum said that for him it is “an ordinary working day”.
“I am at work, for me it is an ordinary working day”, said Ćulum.
All employees have been ordered to leave the building in Banja Luka, Nezavisne novine has learned.
The request states that everything is being done in accordance with the Law on Non-Application of Laws and Prohibition of Activities of Constitutional Institutions of BiH, which, among other things, prohibits the work and actions of SIPA in Republika Srpska.
It is further stated that the Ministry of Interior has asked SIPA to inform its employees in Banja Luka about this request.
As a reminder, the Ministry of Interior of the RS, in accordance with the aforementioned law, announced a public competition yesterday, asking SIPA employees to transfer to the ranks of the Republika Srpska Ministry of Interior.
Photo: illustration
