Members of the Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) left the premises of the Regional Office of this security agency in Banja Luka, after being asked to do so by the top leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MUP) of Republika Srpska, because otherwise the RS Special Police would enter the facility by force, a source in the entity's MUP confirmed to Beta.
"The Director of the RS Police, Siniša Kostrešević, called the Director of SIPA, Darko Ćulum, and asked him to have the employees of the Regional Office in Banja Luka leave the premises, otherwise the RS Special Police will take action," Beta's source stated.
He added that Ćulum asked employees of the Regional Office in Banja Luka to leave the premises to avoid a conflict.
Kostrešević referred to the law adopted by the RS National Assembly, which prohibits SIPA's operations on the territory of RS.
According to media reports in BiH, SIPA employees at the headquarters in East Sarajevo have come to work and, so far, no problems have been recorded.
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Radio Free Europe (RFE) reports that access to the SIPA building of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) in Banja Luka is locked today.
The media outlet states that it has not received official information from SIPA regarding the events in the premises in Banja Luka, as well as a response to unofficial allegations that the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Republika Srpska (MUP RS) will take control of the building today.
RS MUP spokesperson Mirna Miljanović told RFE/RL that she "does not have that information."
As an RFE/RL reporter reports from the field, there is no activity visible in the SIPA building in Banja Luka, there are no people entering or leaving, and the entrance gates to the Agency's premises are closed.
Also, the parking lot is almost empty, except for a few parked SIPA vehicles.
The room guards were the only ones present and they did not want to give any information.
According to RFE/RL's information from a reliable source, SIPA workers in Banja Luka have been informed that their working hours have been reduced.
The day before, the RS Ministry of Interior invited SIPA employees to submit a request to transfer to the RS Ministry of Interior.
The call followed the publication in the Official Gazette of the RS of unconstitutional laws prohibiting the work of the Court of BiH, the Prosecutor's Office of BiH, SIPA, and the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of BiH.
There is currently no official information on how many SIPA workers responded to the call from the RS Ministry of Interior.
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