ŽUPLJANIN: PALE CASE MUST NOT ECLIPSE DECISIVE CRIME CRACKDOWN BY MoI

BANJA LUKA, JULY 14 /SRNA/ – The Patriots Association of Republika Srpska has expressed full support for the Ministry of the Interior /MoI/, Interior Minister Željko Budimir and Police Director Siniša Kostrešević, urging them to continue their determined fight against all forms of crime while ensuring the safety of all citizens and their property.

Association President Slobodan Župljanin told SRNA that the "Enigma" case must not overshadow the work the police of Republika Srpska have done, and continue to do, to maintain conditions for the functioning of all sectors of society in an environment of peace and stability. Župljanin said the police should continue, as they have done on numerous occasions, to hold accountable not only offenders from the general public but also members of their own ranks when they commit misdemeanors or criminal offences. He stressed that the incident should not undermine the favorable and stable security situation that Republika Srpska has maintained for nearly two decades. "We all remember, especially the citizens of Istočno Sarajevo, what it was like when the city streets were the scene of violent clashes between members of criminal groups, in which innocent people were often caught up," Župljanin stated. He added that Istočno Sarajevo, as well as all other towns and municipalities in Republika Srpska, must remain safe for citizens, describing this as the police's primary responsibility. According to Župljanin, personal and narrow group interests, as well as attempts to politicize the work of the police, must not take precedence over the interests of Republika Srpska and the Serb people. He added that the professionalism of the police has been recognized by relevant regional and international law enforcement bodies. "Although the circumstances surrounding irregularities in the organization of the concert in Pale and allegations concerning police conduct during the inspection of the Enigma nightclub are still under investigation, some individuals and groups are already trying to pass final judgment and place all the blame on the Ministry of the Interior, which was carrying out duties within its legal mandate, as it has done many times before," Župljanin noted. He assessed that efforts are being made to portray as victims those who, by operating unlawfully and without the required permits and approvals, could have endangered a large number of citizens. "Similar experiences in the region, such as the one in North Macedonia, remind us that no one has the right to gamble with people's lives by organizing public events in venues that have not been shown to meet the minimum legal requirements, or where such documentation has not been presented to police officers during or after inspections," Župljanin believes. He added that images of the venue and its surroundings, which were made public, were frightening, to say the least. Župljanin said that, instead of focusing on prosecuting the identified violations and irregularities, public attention was being diverted to possible misconduct by police officers. "Anyone who has committed, or is suspected of having committed, any irregularity should be subject to proceedings to establish responsibility. However, this must not be used to reverse the narrative by justifying the violations uncovered during inspections while accusing police officers before any accountability process has been completed," Župljanin concluded. The Republika Srpska Ministry of the Interior previously announced that the hospitality venue inspected in Pale on Friday evening did not hold a license to operate as a hospitality business, rejecting allegations of excessive use of force.