Police closes criminal proceeding against salt supplier

Complainee: Podil Police Department of the Main Department of the National Police in Kyiv (Police)
Complaint in brief: The Council received the complaint from the supplier of the technical salt. The company won in the tender for the procurement of the technical salt for one of the utility companies of Kyiv to maintain roads of the capital in winter. However, after the victory in the tender, the Police started a criminal proceeding against the representatives of the complainant and the customer because of the allegedly “high” price for the salt. The law enforcement officers conducted search in the premises of the complainant, seized his money and documents that was later returned. The case was handed over to investigation departments of the different regions. By that time the pre-trial investigation already lasted for two years failing to comply with the reasonable time limits. The salt supplier himself complained to the Prosecutor General’s Office in Ukraine (PGO) and the National Police (NP). The inactivity of the law enforcement officers forced the complainant to appeal to the Council for help.
Actions taken: Having analyzed the case documents, the investigator supported the position of the complainant. The Council in writting asked the PGO and the NP to ensure proper and impartial consideration of the company’s complaint.  In particular, the Council recommended to take a legal and grounded decision in the case of the salt supplier. The case did not go under way for a while. Then the Council raised the subject of the complaint for consideration by the expert group with the participation of the NP. The Council closely followed the actions of the law enforcement bodies and kept in touch with the complainant.
Results achieved: With the facilitation of the Council the police closed the criminal proceeding against the technical salt supplier due to the absence of the elements of crime. The investigator successfully closed the case.