Serbian Ex-Police Chief Links 'Senjak' Case to 1990s Scandals, Citing Cadre Policy Failures

The recent "Senjak" case in Serbia, involving alleged ties between high-ranking police officials and criminal elements, is being compared to the political assassinations of the 1990s. Ljubiša Milanović, a former head of the POSKOK unit, stated that the "Senjak" case is reminiscent of the Ivan Stambolić affair, suggesting that the nexus between crime and state services originated in the 1990s through cadre policy.

“

The "Senjak" case is reminiscent of the Ivan Stambolić affair, and the entanglement of crime and state services began in the 1990s through cadre policy.

Milanović emphasized that the issue lies with a "corrupted part of the service" rather than the entire police force. He argued that negative cadre policies have led to the recruitment of untrained individuals susceptible to criminal activity. "We are all dealing with the consequences now, but the cause is the collapse of the security system due to poor staffing," he explained.

“

Negative cadre policies have led to the recruitment of untrained individuals susceptible to criminal activity. We are all dealing with the consequences now, but the cause is the collapse of the security system due to poor staffing.

Croatian criminologist and security expert Željko Cvrtila expressed shock at the case, noting that while institutional integrity is eroding globally, the alleged involvement of Serbia's top police chief in mediating disputes between two crime bosses was particularly alarming. Cvrtila stated that such a scenario would be unlikely in Croatia, where while individual police officers might cooperate with the underworld, it's not typically at the level of organized crime involving violence, and police chiefs do not assist in such matters.

“

It's not something unusual, but this story (the 'Senjak' case) shocked all professionals - that the head of the strongest police administration (Veselin Milić) in Serbia was so involved, that he went into the criminal milieu to mediate between two crime bosses.

Dragan Mioković, president of the Security Committee of the Parliament of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, who has 30 years of police experience, commented that even less complex unresolved crimes can erode public trust. He stressed that police must maintain communication channels with citizens and earn respect through their actions, particularly when handling difficult cases.

“

Police are not 'popular' anywhere in the world, but they must earn respect. They will do that only if the vast majority of...