Everyone should do his job: jurisdiction changed

Complainee: Investigative Department of the Main Directorate of the National Police in Odesa Oblast (Odesa NP) 
 
Complaint in brief: The Business Ombudsman Council received a complaint against Odesa law enforcers’ actions. The Complainant is a group of companies specializing in servicing construction objects sought help to change the criminal case jurisdiction initiated against its former CEO. 
 
According to the Complainant, the ex-chairman of the cooperative abused her office, defrauded investors and misappropriated the company’s assets. The Complainant turned to the National Police with a relevant application, criminal proceedings against here were initiated.
 
However, the investigation was entrusted to a department usually dealing with completely different categories of cases. That set the Complainant on the alert. Besides, according to the cooperative, law enforcers deliberately delayed consideration of the case. The Complainant got even more surprised when several counter criminal cases were opened against him. 
 
Convinced that the department’s investigators were personally interested in protecting the ex-CEO, the Complainant appealed to the Council. 
 
Actions taken: Having carefully examined the case file, the Council concluded the Complainant’s appeal was substantiated. In particular, several court decisions showed that officers investigating the former CEO case could be a concerned party to the relevant criminal proceedings. 
 
The Council addressed the PGO in writing asking to consider the Complainant’s appeal and to make an impartial decision thereon. The investigator stressed another department should be in charge of the case investigation. 
 
Result achieved: The PGO accepted the Council’s arguments and referred further case investigation case to the State Bureau of Investigation located in Nikolaev. The Prosecutor General’s Office took control of the pre-trial investigation of mentioned criminal cases. The case was closed successfully.