EU provides State Bureau of Investigation with mobile forensic laboratories worth up to half a million euro
January 24, 2022
On 24 January 2022, the European Union (EU) delivered seven vehicles that will serve as mobile forensic laboratories to the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI). This equipment worth EUR 410,000 will help Ukrainian investigators to become more effective in investigating crimes committed by senior public officials, judges, law-enforcement, and military personnel.
The ceremony of donation at premises of SBI (Kyiv)
“Ukraine’s law-enforcement has a key role in maintaining rule of law in Ukraine and in keeping citizens of Ukraine safe. The EU Delegation to Ukraine supports the reforms aimed at creation of impartial, effective and resilient law-enforcement agencies hand in hand with the EU Advisory Mission (EUAM). PRAVO Police, the EU flagship programme implemented by UNOPS is a key instrument in this effort. We assist Ukrainian reforms with a diverse mix of expertise and advice on structural and legislative improvements as well as with specialised equipment such as software, forensics labs, protective demining suites, and vehicles”, noted Xavier Camus, Head of the Good Governance and Democratisation section at the EU Delegation to Ukraine. “Our common goal remains unchanged, to move forward together and bring Ukraine closer to the European Union”
A thorough inspection of a crime scene and the quality of collected evidence are key to effective investigation and finding the perpetrator. The forensic labs will help investigators of all seven SBI territorial units located in Kyiv, Lviv, Mykolaiv, Melitopol, Poltava, Kramatorsk, Khmelnytskyi to perform their critical jobs more effectively and professionally. By May 2022 each mobile forensic lab will be equipped with specialised forensic, chemistry, biology, ballistics and explosives kits, as well as kits for complex study of vehicles that are instrumental to increasing efficiency in conducting crime scene inspection, and collection, storage and protection of evidence.
“Our goal is to improve SBI’s investigation capacities in gathering evidence and strengthening the resilience of the agency”, said Fredrik Wesslau, Deputy Head of EU Advisory Mission. “The quality of evidence collected is often crucial for investigation. EUAM is happy to support the sustainable development of SBI. We remain committed to sharing European best practices related to crime scene management and pre-trial investigation, which is aimed at bringing-up the agency’s performance in line with international standards and the quality of its service delivery”.
“Law-enforcement reform is a crucial component of broader rule of law reform in Ukraine. With funding support from the European Union, PRAVO Police Programme implemented by UNOPS aims to contribute to this ongoing transformation by delivering world-class equipment and technical expertise that will strengthen the SBI capacity at all levels to effectively combat crimes”, noted Elisa Dandria, UNOPS/PRAVO-Police programme Acting Programme Manager.
Xavier Camus, Head of the Good Governance and Democratisation section at the EU Delegation to Ukraine, Oleksii Sukhachiov, Director of SBI, Fredrik Wesslau, Deputy Head of EUAM, Elisa Dandria, UNOPS/PRAVO-Police programme Acting Programme Manager.
Background information:
The equipment has been procured within the programme “Support for Rule of Law Reforms in Ukraine in the Areas of Police and Public Prosecution and Good Governance” (PRAVO Police) funded by the EU and implemented by UNOPS in close coordination with the EU Advisory Mission (EUAM) to Ukraine. The overall objective of the programme is to contribute to promoting rule of law in Ukraine and to aligning law-enforcement agencies functioning with the best EU and international practices. PRAVO Police provides the SBI with expert support, specialised training on investigations, and ICT equipment. PRAVO Police also assists the National Police, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the other law-enforcement agencies in Ukraine in reforming public order management and criminal investigation systems, modernising pre-trial investigation frameworks aimed at combating cybercrime and serious and organised crime, introducing community and intelligence-led policing models, establishing an effective witness protection system, enhancing police collaboration with Interpol and Europol, and enhancing its professional development and training system.
