BOSNIA: 2009 END USE MONITORING REPORT

UNCLAS SARAJEVO 000115 SIPDIS STATE FOR INL/RM/MS, INL/AAE FOR SIMIC E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SNAR AFIN KCRM BK SUBJECT: BOSNIA: 2009 END USE MONITORING REPORT REF: 09 STATE 119905 ¶1. (U) Below follows the 2009 End Use Monitoring Report for Bosnia-Herzegovina keyed to reftel format. Please note that Bosnia-Herzegovina receives no INCLE funding, but rather law enforcement capacity building programs are financed with INL-managed SEED funds implemented by the Department of Justice's International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program (ICITAP). ¶A. EUM Program Coordinators ¶1. Gregory Shaw, US Embassy, 001-387-33-445-700, ext. 2490; ShawGJ@state.gov ¶2. Susan J. Carroll, ICITAP Senior Program Advisor; 202-448-3011, ext. 2001; nina.carroll@icitapled.us ¶B. Inventory System ICITAP procures equipment through its Prime Contractor, MPRI, Inc. As equipment is received, where possible it is marked with an ICITAP Bar Code and entered into a database, listing the item description, Bar Code #, Serial Number, Value, and location stored. Upon donation, the database is updated with the Agency Name, Accountable Person (who signed for it) and date of the donation. Where bar codes are not feasible, whatever data is available is entered and N/A placed where appropriate. ICITAP maintains a warehouse protected by an alarm connected to the Embassy. Entry into the warehouse is governed by a "two-man rule." As items are received, they are inventoried against the shipping manifest. MPRI is notified via an Inspection and Acceptance Report signed by the Program Manager, which is tied to an internal audit number, further tied to specific projects, for accounting purposes. ¶C. Staff member EUM Responsibilities. The ICITAP Program Manager has overall responsibility for the program's End Use Monitoring. The Senior Program Advisor provides oversight to the warehouse and two logistics personnel, conducting periodic unannounced inventories. There was one change in personnel since the last report; a second logistics person was added. ICITAP Technical Advisors assigned to the local law enforcement agencies have the responsibility of conducting spot checks of equipment, determining whether it is being used properly, and reporting positive and negative impacts as compared to the anticipated outcomes identified in the ICITAP Program Management Plan and the US Embassy Mission Strategic Plan. ¶D. Other USG Agency Assistance N/A for ICITAP report ¶E. Counterpart Agencies During this reporting period, donations were made to the Ministry of Security, Border Police, State Investigation and Protection Agency, Republika Srpska Ministry of Interior, Federation Ministry of Interior, Foreigners Affairs Service, University of Sarajevo Faculty for Criminal Justice Sciences, Canton 10, District of Brcko, Ministry of Finance, Bosnia-Podrinje Canton, Herceg-Neretva Canton, Central Bosnia Canton, Zenica-Doboj Canton, West Herzegovina Canton, Posavina Canton, and Una Sana Canton. All of the agencies fully cooperated with the End Use Monitoring process. ¶F. Receipt The ICITAP Program Manager provides MPRI, Inc. with an official letter advising them to release certain items to the recipient, to make a record of the donation and maintain sign-over receipts. With regards to the new state level Ministry of Security, a memorandum is provided to the Minister advising him of the intention of the USG to provide a donation prior to the letter being drafted to MPRI, Inc. Sign-over receipts fully list the details of the donation and are signed for by either the agency head or his designated accountable person. ¶3. MONITORING PROCEDURES ¶A. On-site Inspections ICITAP has advisors assigned to the Ministry of Security (MOS),the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA), the Republika Srpska Ministry of Interior (MOI),and the Evidence Project. During calendar year 2009, these advisors, ICITAP management, and office personnel conducted scheduled and unscheduled inventories of equipment which had been donated by ICITAP. Note: A copy of the ICITAP-Bosnia End Use Monitoring Policy as approved by INL in June 2006 will be provided to INL/AAE via e-mail Scheduled inspections were conducted in more than thirty-eight cities; all but one of the Border Police Field Offices and the major border crossing points. The Border Police warehouse was also inspected. Note that the Advisor responsible for the Border Police inspections passed away in October and was unable to complete the inventory of the last Field Office. This will be addressed in 2010. Scheduled inspections were conducted at the Foreigner Affairs Service headquarters and all but two of the sixteen Foreigner Affairs Service Field Centers. As noted above, the death of the Border Police/FAS Advisor prohibited the completion of this inventory, but will be re-addressed in 2010. Scheduled inspections were conducted at the State Investigation and Protection Agency headquarters, all four Regional Offices, and their warehouse. Scheduled inspections were conducted in the Republika Srpska at the Ministry of Interior headquarters and two police stations. An inspection of the inventory records was also conducted. Note: A Spreadsheet will be provided via e-mail to INL/AAE, listing the recipient agencies, item descriptions, Bar Codes, Serial Numbers, date donated, person who signed for the item, the person who inventoried the item, the date of the inventory, method of inventory (physical or via records),the person responsible for the item and its condition. The number of inspections performed--45 The number of counterpart sites and cities visited--19 Agencies and more than 38 cities visited. The number of donated items subject to inspection-- 1957 ¶B. Secondary Methods of Monitoring Resource Status Comparison of Records Because of the influx of donations following the end of hostilities in 1995, Government of Bosnia-Herzegovina has laws and books of rules governing their inventory system. Each agency is required to maintain a database of items and conduct periodic inventories. We also cross checked these records with ours to identify and discrepancies. Where possible, corrections were made on the spot. SIPA purchased a computerized inventory control system to ensure accurate and rapid access to property information. A new SOP and implementation plan is under development. Full implementation of the new system will occur when SIPA move into their new Headquarters building later this year. However, a full inventory of equipment has been completed. Records comparisons were particularly necessary for the Border Police donation of Monitron Sensors and their components. These items are buried underground along the Border. However, BP headquarters staff was able to show where the equipment is monitored and all units appeared to be operational. Discussions All of the agencies supported were advised of the on-site inspections and provided us with the highest level of support. In addition, they offered us full access to their asset/inventory records upon request. Percentage of Use Only approximately 15-20% of the items were inventoried using only agency records. The majority were personally inspected. ¶4. STATUS-COMMODITIES ¶A. Type of Commodity Vessels N/A Vehicles Seven Ford Fiestas were donated to the BiH Police in 2009. ¶B. Location Of the seven vehicles donated, one is located in Brcko, three in Sarajevo and three in Banja Luka. ¶C. Use The seven vehicles were donated specifically for use by their Organized Crime and Counter-terrorism Units. ¶D. Condition. Excellent ¶E. Complete Inventories-Aircraft, Vehicles, Vessels, Weapons. District of Brcko Police Ford Fiesta--1 Federation Ministry of Interior Ford Fiesta--3 Republika Srpska Ministry of Interior Ford Fiesta--3 ¶5. STATUS-INVENTORIES N/A ¶6. PROGRAM IMPACT Impact INL program donated resources have significantly increased the capacity of the entity and state-level law enforcement agencies to control Bosnia's borders; interdict trafficking; and conduct criminal investigations. ICITAP qualitative analysis indicates an increase in drug seizures, trafficking cases, and organized crime arrests since the Bosnian law enforcement agencies received the donated equipment. The Ministry of Security, the State Investigation and Protection Agency, and the Foreigner Affairs Service are state-level law enforcement agencies created with strong USG support and with full ICITAP involvement. Standing up these organizations is an ongoing project, but based on the donations and technical advice provided, they have become functional, albeit their qualitative results may be still be lacking. For example, the State Investigation and Protection Agency Special Support Unit acted on 237 orders, which resulted in a total of 84 arrests, up from the 79 arrests from 24 arrest orders completed in 2008. In June 2009, ICITAP visited a recently discovered Mass Grave site in Goranci, a small village town west of Mostar. The State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA) Special Support Unit (SSU) Alpine Team was working this Mass Grave utilizing rappelling equipment donated by ICITAP. The site is located at the bottom of a pit 100 meters deep and 30 meters wide in a very remote section of the country. Following a sweep for unexploded ordinance, the SSU was removing all the trash (including a car) put there to help conceal the bodies before recovering the as yet undetermined number of human remains. Local counterparts report that the equipment donated for their evidence rooms have allowed the Ministries to create a more safe and efficient process for storing evidence, thus improving the standards and chain of custody regarding evidence handling within the agencies. ICITAP is utilizing the concept of Communications Interoperability as an agent for positive change of Law Enforcement in BiH. Communications interoperability, specifically refers to the ability of Law Enforcement Agencies to share information on demand, in real time, when needed, and as authorized. Communications interoperability makes it possible for different Law Enforcement agencies to work effectively together. The Special Support Unit continues to utilize donated equipment as they conduct high-profile, high-risk apprehensions of war criminals, organized crime figures, suspected terrorists, and illegal immigrants awaiting deportation. This unit could not have conducted these operations safely without the very important ICITAP donations. ¶7. PROBLEMS & CORRECTIVE ACTION PLANS ICITAP advisors did not encounter any significant problems during the course of monitoring activities in 2009. The local agencies fully cooperated with the inspection process. ENGLISH