SIPA launched an investigation against RS Police Director Pena

Appointments of Heads of State level police agencies to be completed today

RS Minister of Interior Cadjo: Citizens trust the police by 70%

BiH Agency for Prevention and Fight against Corruption unable to control political parties

Conference on cooperation between police and prosecution

Large scale police operation in Banja Luka – money and narcotics seized

Trebinje Police prevented smuggling of cigarettes worth 50,000 BAM

Former HR for BiH Lajčák paid his visit to BiH

PDP President Ivanic: People are no longer buying nationalistic rhetoric

Oslobodjenje pg. 9 – Upon the order of BiH Prosecutor’s Office issued in October 2009, members of State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) launched an investigation against RS Police Director Uros Pena, who currently applying for one of the managerial posts at BiH Directorate for Coordination of Police Bodies.

Several families of fallen members of RS Ministry of Interior (RS MoI) from Mrkonjic Grad, filed a report against Pena to BiH Prosecution, considering him as one of the persons responsible for the death of their beloved ones.

Namely, Pena was the Commander of Police Station Mrkonjic Grad during the war in BiH. In June 1992, Pena allegedly received the order to confiscate the weapons from the residents of Lisovac village together with the members of RS Army, as well as to find persons among the residents who were refusing compulsory military service.

The Unit headed by Pena was fighting in Sebezi settlement in the vicinity of Lisovac village on 13 June 1992, as they were attacked by the members of Croatian Defence Council (HVO). 20 members of RS MoI lost their lives in this battle and their family members now consider Pena partially responsible for their death, because in their opinion, Pena hasn’t undertaken any safety measures in order to protect the members of his Unit.

After the report has been filed to BiH Prosecution, this institution tasked SIPA to launch an investigation. Head of the Department for Investigations, Goran Rakic, tasked SIPA inspector Igor Stojcinovic to conduct the investigation in case ‘Pena’.

Head of SIPA Regional Office Banja Luka, Zoran Glusac, allegedly invited and interrogated Pena for half an hour showing him the order issued by BiH Prosecution, after which he invited Rakic to join them and bring the file containing Pena’s case.

Pena, assumes Oslobodjenje, had a chance to read the content of his file as well as to copy the names of police officers who survived the HVO attack, and who were supposed to be invited to give their statements in this case to SIPA inspectors. After this whole procedure, the file has been returned to Stojcinovic for further processing.

Inspectors Mirko Sivonic and Bahrudin Dzamdjic were also present during this meeting.

The mentioned police officers made their statements in the presence of Sivonjic (Croat) and Dzamdjic.

Daily also claims that Mrkonjic Grad Police Deputy Commander allegedly told Sivonjic, assuming that Sivonjic is a Serb, that Pena already used his connections to instruct all potential eyewitnesses – police officers, telling them exactly what to say to the inspectors. The statements of all police officers involved in this case are more or less identical. It seems like, claims the daily, that SIPA’s Department for Internal Control will have its hands full of work in the forthcoming period.

 

Nezavisne novine pg. 5 – Appointments of the Heads of four State level police agencies should be completed today, which means that all conditions set by the Road Map for the liberalisation of the visa regime have finally been met, as confirmed by SNSD delegate at BiH Parliament Drago Kalabic.

The appointments of the Heads of four State level police agencies is the final condition set by the International Community, which is the reason why the SNSD party intends to accept the candidates, although they are unsatisfied with the national balance among the officials selected as well as with the attitude towards obligations foreseen.

 

Nezavisne novine pg. 7, Press RS pg. 8, Glas Srpske pg. 9 - RS Minister of Interior, Stanislav Cadjo, said in Gradiska that citizens’ trust in the police has increased from some 30% to almost 70%.

After visiting Gradiska Police Station, Cadjo said that after four years he spent working as Minister of Interior, he is allowed to say that citizens’ trust in police has increased to almost 70%, adding that this relationship must be strengthened in the future as well.

“Such facts are encouraging and a proof for us that we are moving into right direction,” said Cadjo, adding that the security situation in Gradiska improved as well.

He expressed his satisfaction regarding the work of RS Police and added that this is “surely the best security agency, as well as the agency with the most sophisticated administration in BiH.”

Cadjo noted that still a lot needs to be done within the lines of RS Police, as well as that the police have also identified their own weak points and are ready to fight against it, especially concerning the corruptive behavior of certain police members.

Dnevni avaz pg. 11 – BiH politicians tied the hands of BiH Agency for Prevention and Fight against Corruption even before this institution started to operate, claims Dnevni avaz, while explaining that among several competences of this Agency foreseen by the law, no one ever mentioned the control over financing of political parties.

This means, informs the daily, that the political parties will still be able to receive donations without anyone having the possibility of controlling them.

Dnevni avaz source from BiH Ministry of Security said that an agreement regarding this issue was simply impossible to reach.

 

Oslobodjenje pg. 3 – Conference titled “Improved cooperation between police and prosecutions in BiH” will be held on 10 and 11 March in Sarajevo’s settlement Ilidza under the auspices of BiH High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council (HJPC). 130 prosecutors and representatives of BiH police agencies intend to attend the conference.

FBiH Center for Training of Judges and Prosecutors informed that the conference represents the continuation of the excellent cooperation between this institution and entities’ centers  for training of judges and prosecutors. BiH Chief Prosecutor Milorad Barasin, BiH HJPC President Milorad Novkovic and SIPA Director Mirko Lujic also confirmed their attendance.

 

Dnevni avaz pg. 14, Nezavisne novine pg. 14, Oslobodjenje pg. 12, Press RS pg. 14, Glas Srpske pg. 16 – Edin Ceric (52) and Zeljko Kapic (21) from Banja Luka were arrested in the scope of the large scale police operation conducted during the weekend in the region of Banja Luka.

Members of Banja Luka PSC raided 10 different locations and uncovered 12 packages of heroin, 10 packages of marijuana, 10 baseball bats and five guns, as confirmed by Chief of Banja Luka PSC Police Sector Dragan Cibic and Head of Banja Luka PSC CID Nedeljko Lubura.

Police also found certain amount of heroin drug as well as 530 BAM and 20 Euros in the vehicle used by Ceric. According to police data, Ceric is well known in police circles for committing robberies and other criminal acts in BiH and Italy, while Kapic has been in possession of 1, 2 grams of marijuana by the time he was arrested.

The competent judge will probably propose custody measures for both Ceric and Kapic.

Dnevni list reported that Ceric was sentenced to one month in custody, as well as that Banja Luka Police announced to continue with similar activities in the future in order to remove the fire weapons, usually carried by young persons, from the streets.

 

Dnevni avaz pg. 7, Nezavisne novine pg. 15, Dnevni list pg. 21, Oslobodjenje pg. 13, Vecernji list pg. 18, Glas Srpske pg. 16 – Members of Trebinje PSC in cooperation with BiH Indirect Taxation Authority (ITA) confiscated 15,640 packages of smuggled cigarettes worth approximately 50,000 BAM.

Cigarettes were found in one of two private houses located in Bileca the police raided on Sunday evening.

“The smugglers used mountain roads in order to smuggle the cigarettes from Montenegro. Part of it was supposed to be sold on BiH market, while the rest was meant to be shipped to Croatia. Report will be filed against one person to the competent prosecution,” stated ITA Spokesperson Ratko Kovacevic.  

As Press RS informed, the cigarettes were confiscated in the scope of the large police operation dubbed “Shadow”. This is the fourth large suppression of cigarettes within last month conducted jointly by members of BiH ITA, entities’ police forces and Brcko District Police.

FTV, RTRS, Dnevni avaz pg. 5, Oslobodjenje front page “Pre-election campaign against European agenda” and pg. 3, Vecernji list pg. 4, Press RS pg. 3 – The International Community (IC) will do everything in its power to prevent the election campaign from being used as an excuse for further delays with respect to the EU agenda, agreed the High Representative and EU Special Representative (HR/EUSR) Valentin Inzko and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovak Republic, Miroslav Lajčák during their meeting in Sarajevo yesterday.

Inzko andLajčák discussed the current political developments and the status of efforts to make Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) a functional country and put it back on the road to EU integration, a road from which it has deviated in the last three years.

It has been pointed out, that BiH cannot afford the luxury of losing another year “because of the forthcoming elections, which are being used as an excuse by politicians to do nothing, fearing that if they make mistakes it could lead to poor election results.”

Dnevni list reported that HR/EUSR Inzko highlighted a lack of political will as the main cause for the slow pace of reforms, which is preventing BiH from achieving progress on the way to EU integration.

 

Dnevni avaz front page and pg. 5, Nezavisne novine pg. 11 – In his interview for Dnevni avaz, PDP President Mladen Ivanic confirmed that he is one of the RS opposition candidates for the position of the Serb member of BiH Presidency. Ivanic also announced that he is ready to support the candidacy of SDS member Ognjen Tadic for the post of  RS President, which means, claims the daily, that the opposition parties in RS are one step away from reaching major agreements.

“The case of Bileca has shown that it is possible to win the battle against SNSD. If the opposition was capable of winning in Bileca, it is possible to achieve victory in other municipalities as well,” said Ivanic, adding that the only way to win against SNSD during forthcoming elections is for the opposition parties to be honest and united.

“People are no longer buying the nationalistic rhetoric. They surely see the difference between empty talks and concrete actions,” stressed Ivanic.

Dnevni avaz – Donations for return: 11 officials under investigation

Oslobodjenje – Inzko and Lajčák: Pre-election campaign against European agenda

Nezavisne novine – Oil fields in BiH are worth tenths billions

Press RS – In 2030 there will be 700,000 less Serbs

Glas Srpske – Islamic schools to be discussed by Commission for Security

Dnevni list – Meeting of signatories of Kresevo declaration: Croats want the President and more competences

Vecernji list – Turkey after Haiti and Chile...