A search is an extreme investigative action: Kostin on the Order on Standards of Prosecutors' Activity in the Field of Investment Protection
Kyiv • UNN
In Ukraine, every fifth criminal case in the economic sector was closed after an audit, and the number of searches and seizures of business property decreased over the past three months, reports the Prosecutor General's Office.
Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin has signed an order approving the Standards of Prosecutors' Activities in the Field of Investment Protection, which are intended to reduce pressure on economic entities. This was reported by UNN with reference to OP.
Details
Today, representatives of the Prosecutor General's Office, the Business Ombudsman Council, the Presidential Council for Support of Entrepreneurship under Martial Law, and Ukrainian business associations met.
Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin signed an order approving the Standards of Prosecutors' Activities in the Field of Investment Protection, extending their mandatory effect to all prosecutors
It is reported that members of the Presidential Council on Entrepreneurship and leading business associations joined the development of the updated Standards.
The standards, in particular, stipulate that a search is an extreme investigative action, and the need for an arrest requires proof and consideration of whether the arrest will actually stop the business activities of the enterprise.
In addition, the participants of the meeting discussed the results of the audit of criminal proceedings recommended by the NSDC decision "On Urgent Measures to Ensure Economic Security for the Period of Martial Law", introduced by Presidential Decree No. 21/2024 of January 23, 2024.
Overall, the audit showed that more than 1.4 million criminal proceedings have been registered in Ukraine, of which only 0.5% relate to business. Deputy Prosecutor General Dmytro Verbytskyi said that the audit resulted in the closure of every fifth criminal proceeding in the economic sector. Also, the number of searches and seizures of business property has halved over the past three months
Addendum
Prosecutor General Andriy Kostin statedthat there is an understanding that business has questions not only to law enforcement agencies, but also to regulatory agencies: the tax service, the State Customs Service, and the State Service of Ukraine for Food Safety and Consumer Protection. Therefore, Kostin once again called on the government to appoint the heads of the State Tax Service and the State Customs Service.
