AFFAIRS
He was required to seek information from the Prosecution as to whether an investigation was being conducted, but he did not send a request
Mehmedagić: He is being tried in the Court of B&H. Avaz
Director of the Intelligence and Security Agency (ISA) Osman Mehmedagić Osmica's security license for access to classified information, which was issued to him five years ago, expires on Thursday, February 18th.
Given the current trial in the Court of B&H, where he is being tried on the indictment of the Prosecutor's Office of B&H for abuse of office, it is difficult to expect that the leaders of the Ministry of Security will act on his request for extension.
Especially since the Law on Protection of Classified Information of B&H is clear. According to Article 59 of the Law, which deals with security obstacles due to which the issuance of a permit for access to classified information is denied, one of the obstacles is "conducting proceedings for a criminal offense punishable by imprisonment for at least three months."
Considering that Mehmedagić is being tried before the Court of B&H for the criminal offense of abuse of official position, for which he is threatened with a sentence of six months to five years, it is clear that there is no legal basis for extending the current director's security license.
In fact, Mehmedagić had to submit a request for a security check three months ago, which had to be performed by the Agency he leads.
He was accused during that period, and at least three more investigations are being conducted against him for abuse of position and authority.
The question remains whether Mehmedagić submitted the request and when, ie whether he filled in the obligatory standardized form containing dozens of pages, which is submitted with the request for obtaining a security permit.
The decision to issue a new security license is in the hands of Mate Miletić, B&H Assistant Minister of Security Selmo Cikotić, who heads the Sector for the Protection of Classified Information. It is possible that Cikotić will act according to that decision.
However, there are two options for Cikotić and Miletić. To issue a new permit or to refuse it.
Before the Ministry acts on the request of the ISA director, and the deadline is in two days, this agency has to send an inquiry to the Prosecutor's Office of B&H to find out whether an investigation is being conducted against Mehmedagić. But as we were unofficially told, such request has never been submitted.
Miletić, on the other hand, told us briefly yesterday that he could not comment on anything, because he was not authorized. He referred us to the cabinet of the Minister, but until the conclusion of this issue of "Avaz", we did not receive an answer as to whether Mehmedagić had submitted a request for the extension of the security license.
We remind you that in November last year, a procedure was initiated to deprive Mehmedagić of the right to access classified information.
Such procedure was initiated by Zoran Tegeltija, the chairman of the B&H Council of Ministers and the head of the Reporting and Intelligence Body, which oversees the work of the ISA. He informed the Ministry of Security that it was necessary to initiate an additional security check procedure for ISA Director General Osman Mehmedagić, due to "suspicion of a security breach." This procedure was never completed.
Article 61 of the Law on Protection of Classified Information of B&H states that "when a person who has the right to access classified information has his license revoked, it is declared redundant when the decision becomes final."
The same article further states that "a redundant person is assigned to vacant positions in the same or another institution, and in case of impossibility of assignment, due to the lack of similar jobs, that person's employment is terminated with severance pay determined by law."
Mehmedagić has the right to appeal to the Commission in which he placed his people, and they are under investigation in the "Security Checks" affair.
