Police Department renews investigation into company squatting another company’s land

Subject of complaint: Bobrovtsi Police Department in Chernihiv Oblast (Bobrovytske PD)
Complaint in brief: On September 5, 2016, the Complainant, a livestock-breeding and grain-growing company, lodged a complaint with the BOC regarding the delay of a criminal investigation by the Bobrovtsi PD in a case where another enterprise was illegally occupying land belonging to the Complainant and had even built a fence to prevent the Complainant from entering its own land.
In February 2016, the Bobrovtsi County Court had demanded that obliged the Bobrovtsi PD investigator look into the Complainant’s request to open a criminal case, but no investigative action had been taken for more than six months.
Action taken: The BOC investigator sent a request to the Bobrovtsi PD investigator who was not properly investigating the complaint, to stop acting improperly during the investigation. The PD also asked the Prosecutor’s Office to provide the investigator with written instructions regarding the proper approach to investigating the Complainant’s case. The investigator failed to follow the instructions and was subjected to disciplinary action, while the investigation was assigned to a more experienced investigator in the Bobrovtsi PD. The necessary measures were taken with respect to the Bobrovtsi PD Chief of the Investigative Department.
The BOC investigator also discussed the progress of the Complainant’s case at an expert group with the National Police.
Result achieved: As a result of the BOC intervention, the Complainant’s investigation was renewed and progress of preliminary investigation was being monitored by the National Police. The case was closed.