Appointment of Darko Culum a new chief of the state police would only lead to further deterioration of citizens' trust in the government and in its commitment to fight crime and corruption, anti-corruption policy body Transparency International said on Tuesday, protesting the proposal to appoint current chief of police in Bosnia's Serb-dominated region, Republika Srpska (RS).

The organisation said that Darko Culum was at the helm of the RS Police at the moment when the institution was facing serious accusations over the violation of fundamental human rights and freedoms.

“Banja Luka citizens reported to the Ombudsman, civil society organisations and internal police controls the cases of abuse at police premises, the excessive use of force and unprofessional behaviour of a number of police officers, especially towards the civic activists,” Sarajevo-based office of TI said in response to the proposal of Culum's appointment, urging Bosnia's Council of Ministers, the state-level government, to dismiss the proposal for appointment filed by Security Minister Fahrudin Radoncic.

Appointment of Darko Culum as the Chief of the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) or any institution in charge of the fight against organised and other severe crimes would only further deteriorate the trust of citizens in the government and its commitment to fight crime and corruption, said TI.

“TI BiH urges the Council of Ministers not to appoint Darko Culum at the post of the SIPA Director because that would mean that a person, who is subject of a court procedure for the most serious breaches of the fundamental rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution, would be appointed at a post in one of the most important law enforcement agencies,” said the organisation.