"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.
