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Source: p 231 of 296, Understanding Housing Policy, by Brian Lund

[1.] ... In addition, the CRE [Commission for Racial Equality] acquired the power to instigate a formal investigation into an organisation of which it had a reasonable belief that discriminatory procedures were being practised. ...

Is the preposition of correct? I would've guessed IN, because this is how I parse the sentence:

[2.] ... the CRE acquired the power to instigate a formal investigation into an organisation IN which ... discriminatory procedures were being practised. ...

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    It's awkward; this author does not betray much ability to use the language gracefully. What he probably has in mind is "The CRE believed of this organization that discretionary procedures were being practised there", but he got tripped up by his syntax. To my mind he should have written "an organisation where ...".
    – StoneyB on hiatus
    Apr 26, 2015 at 22:19
  • It would still be clumsy, but omitting the preposition entirely is better than the ugly of the author chose. R Mac's rephrased answer is a better version still.
    – Jason Patterson
    May 28, 2015 at 0:53

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No, the preposition "of" is not correct. In fact, the author should not have used a preposition there at all. The "reasonable belief" is a condition upon which the "power to instigate a formal investigation" depends, so the author should have used the word "if".

[1.] ... In addition, the CRE [Commission for Racial Equality] acquired the power to instigate a formal investigation into an organisation if it had a reasonable belief that discriminatory procedures were being practised. ...

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