TOV Matimex-Ukraine’s foreign economic activity wasn’t stopped

Subject of complaint: Security Bureau of Ukraine (SBU), Ministry of Economic Development and Trade (MEDT)
Complaint in brief: On September 20, 2016, the Complainant, a wholesaler TOV Matimex-Ukraine, specialized on import of aromatic mixes for sausage products, located in Kyiv, addressed the BOC to help challenge an unjustified the pre-trial investigation undertaken by the SBU and an MEDT decision to institute a special sanction against the company by temporarily suspending its foreign economic activities.
Actions taken: In September, the BOC had a working meeting with the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) at which the Complainant’s case was discussed in detail. As a result of the meeting on September 28, the BOC investigator requested that the PGO verify the legality of the actions of the investigators carrying out the pre-trial investigation.   On September 23 and November 23, the BOC investigator also sent requests to MEDT to undertake a thorough, impartial review of the Complainant’s request to withdraw the temporary suspension of its foreign economic activity. 
During the investigation, the BOC investigator closely cooperated with the Complainant, the PGO, SBU, MEDT, Ministry of Finance, and the Austrian Ambassador to Ukraine and Ukrainian Ambassador to Austria.
Result achieved: On November 15, the Prosecutor’s Office of Kyiv Oblast informed the Council that the criminal proceeding had been dropped for lack of evidence of a crime. On December 29, MEDT withdrew the temporary suspension of foreign economic activity. The case was successfully closed. As a result of the BOC intervention, Complainant saved more than one hundred of work places.