Chương XVII Bộ luật Tố tụng hình sự 2015: Tạm đình chỉ điều tra và kết thúc điều tra

Chapter XVII

SUSPENSION AND CLOSURE OF INVESTIGATION

Article 229. Suspension of investigation

1. Investigation authorities shall decide to suspend investigative activities in one of the following events:

a) Suspects are unidentified or their whereabouts are unknown despite the expiration of the investigation time limit. If the location of suspects is unknown, investigation authorities must issue wanted notices before suspending the investigation;

b) If judicial expert examination finds that suspects suffer from mental illness or fatal diseases, the investigation may be suspended ahead of schedule;

c) Time limit for investigation expires while expert examination, property valuation or judicial assistance, though requested, does not progress. In such event, expert examination, valuation process and judicial assistance shall continue until results are achieved.

2. If there are several suspects in one case but the reason for suspension of investigation does not apply to all of them, the investigative activities against each suspect shall be suspended separately.

3. Investigation authorities, in 02 days upon deciding to suspend the investigation, shall send such decision to the equivalent Procuracy, suspects, their defense counsels or representatives and deliver notices to the crime victims, litigants and protectors of their legitimate rights.

Article 230. Termination of investigation

1. Investigation authorities shall decide to terminate investigative activities in one of the following events:

a) As per justifications as defined in Section 2, Article 155 and Article 157 of this Law or in Article 16 or Article 29 or Section 2, Article 91 of the Criminal Code;

b) Time limit for investigation expires though suspects are not proved to commit crimes.

2. A decision to terminate investigation shall specify time and issuing place of the decision, reasons and justifications, termination of preventive and coercive measures, return of documents and items impounded (if any), handling of evidences and relevant matters.

If there are several suspects in one case but the reason for suspension of investigation does not apply to all of them, the investigative activities against each suspect shall be terminated separately.

3. The procuracy, in 15 days upon receiving the decision to terminate investigation and case files from investigation authorities, shall consider justifications of such decision and return case files to investigation authorities that handle intra vires matters. If the suspension decision is deemed unjustified, it shall be abrogated and investigation authorities shall be requested to resume investigative activities. If justifications of prosecution suffice, the Procuracy shall nullify the decision on investigation suspension and decide to prosecute according to the time limit, sequence and formalities as stated in this Law.

Article 231. Seeking of suspects

1. Investigative authorities shall decide to issue wanted notices against suspects on the loose or in unknown places.

2. A wanted notice shall specify full name, date of birth, residential address of suspects, their traits for identification, crimes against which suspects are charged and other details as per Section 2, Article 132 of this law; and suspects' photos (if available).

A wanted notice for a suspect shall be sent to the equivalent Procuracy and publicly announced for everyone to detect and detain the wanted person.

3. Upon the capture of the suspect as per the wanted notice, the investigation authority issuing such notice shall terminate it. A decision to terminate wanted notice shall be sent to the equivalent Procuracy and publicly announced.

Article 232. Closure of investigation

1. Investigation authorities, when closing an investigation, must conclude the investigation in writing.

2. The investigation ends when the investigation authorities concluding the investigation requisition charges or terminate the investigation.

3. The written conclusion of investigation shall specify date, full name and position of the person concluding the investigation and bear his signature.

4. Investigation authorities, in 02 days upon concluding the investigation in writing, shall send such conclusion to requisition charges or enclose a decision to terminate investigation and case files to the equivalent Procuracy. Suspects or their representative or defense counsels shall be given a copy of the conclusion of investigation for charges or suspension of investigation. Crime victims, litigants and protectors of their legitimate rights shall be informed.

Article 233. Conclusion of investigation during the stage of prosecution

During the stage of prosecution, the written conclusion of investigation shall specify the progress of crimes; evidences of suspects' commission of crimes, their artifices, motives, purposes, nature and degree of damage caused by the crimes; preventive and coercive measures enforced, altered or terminated; factors aggravating and mitigating criminal liabilities, traits and personal record of suspects; seizure and impoundment of documents and items, handling of evidences; reasons and circumstances leading to the crimes and other facts significant to the case; reasons and justifications of prosecution; offence titles, Articles, Sections and Points quoted from the Criminal Code; recommendations for the settlement of the case.

The written conclusion of investigation shall specify issue date, full name and position of the person concluding the investigation and bear his signature.

Article 234. Conclusion of an investigation terminated

When an investigation is terminated, the written conclusion of investigation shall specify events, process of investigation, reasons and justification of investigation suspension.

The written conclusion of investigation shall specify issue date, full name and position of the person concluding the investigation and bear his signature.

A decision to terminate investigation shall specify time and issuing place of the decision, reasons and justifications, termination of preventive and coercive measures, return of documents and items impounded (if any), handling of evidences and relevant matters.

Article 235. Resumption of investigation

1. Investigation authorities, when having justifications to annul the decision to terminate or suspend investigation, shall decide to resume the investigation if the prescriptive period for criminal prosecution remains effective.

If the investigation is terminated according to Section 5 and Section 6, Article 157 of this Law without the consent of the suspect who petitions for repetition of investigation, investigation authorities or equivalent procuracies shall decide to resume the investigation.

2. Investigation authorities, in 02 days upon deciding to resume the investigation, shall send such decision to the equivalent Procuracy, suspects, their defense counsels or representatives and deliver notices to the crime victims, litigants and protectors of their legitimate rights.