The police, the public prosecutor’s office, the investigation judge, and also specific bodies such as the FSMA, the Economic Inspectorate, the Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (or in Dutch: FAVV, Federaal Agentschap voor de Veiligheid van de Voedselketen), and the  OLAF (the European Anti-Fraud Office) are authorized to carry out far-reaching investigative actions, such as conducting searches on company premises, searches in IT systems, and interviews.

We provide the most appropriate assistance during the process of these investigative actions.
Clients are not used to appearing before the court or other oversight bodies. For the investigators, on the other hand, conducting searches, searches in IT systems, or an interview is a daily task on which they have been given specific training. It therefore makes good sense for clients to rely on professional assistance in these types of situations.

If clients are faced with these situations, we see to it that the process of the investigative actions are carried out in the best possible circumstances, and that means with respect to one’s rights, privacy, and professional secrecy. If interviews are scheduled, we discuss the case with our clients beforehand, and we advise them on how they should give the answers at the interview.

A well-thought-out strategy that is consequently applied from the start and that is based on a thorough understanding of the case file is therefore essential and gives the most guarantees of a good outcome of the case at hand.

Some examples of our work in searches and interrogation matters include:

  • assisting a multinational company that is active in the beverage production sector in an investigation into violations of customs and excise legislation;
  • assisting a reputable consulting company in a fraud investigation conducted by OLAF (the European Anti-Fraud Office);
  • assisting a public-listed company and some of its directors in an investigation conducted by the FSMA (the Financial Services and Markets Authority) into facts concerning market manipulation.