"He may have been involved in some very serious criminal matters."

This is not a criminal matter yet and no charges have been filed.

"We are looking into what could be a serious criminal matter," a police official said.

We will only use the evidence in relation to criminal matters.

The accident is not being treated as a criminal matter.

"But right now, we are focusing on the criminal matter."

Even assuming that it was not yet a criminal matter?

The case now has the status of a civil appeal rather than a criminal matter.

This should always have been a civil matter - not criminal.

They maintain that the issue is a civil matter, not criminal.