Asia Diligence has successfully conducted commercial investigations throughout the globe, including global compliance due diligence, pre and post transaction investigations, as well as background checks.
Below are a few examples of our successful cases and where the services we offer have proved critical to good business decision making:
BACKGROUND DECEPTION
A multinational corporation was interested in verifying the background of an individual that they were looking to employ in an important senior role in their South Asian operations. There had been a recent gap in the subject’s work history and the client wished to understand whether there was more to this than he was revealing. Asia Diligence undertook standard pre-employment background investigations and determined nothing of concern or note. However, discreet reputation enquiries by Asia Diligence’s field investigators determined that the individual was considered arrogant and difficult to work with. He had a bad attitude to work and whilst extremely knowledgeable in his role, would not assist his colleagues or juniors. He had been asked to resign from his previous role or face the company dismissing him following a prolonged negative period of growth.
HIDDEN RISKS
A multinational corporation was in the process of making a business loan to an influential businessman in South East Asia in relation to a proposed joint venture, but wanted to verify his ability to repay the loan. As the jurisdiction in South East Asia offered little public information on an individual’s assets, our local investigators conducted discreet enquiries and surveillance on the subject to identify what property, vehicles, businesses and affluence the subject had. It was discovered that the individual was very influential locally, but this was because he operated as a front man for a powerful mafia family in the area. Whilst he maintained property, businesses and vehicles, and the family maintained significant wealth, their influence and official connections would have made any action against them near impossible and risked significant reputational damage for our client.
CORRUPT PRACTICES
A multinational corporation wished to conduct background checks and integrity due diligence into its resellers and authorized distributors as part of an FCPA compliance program. As part of the global investigations a check in Brazil was conducted on a prospective partner. Field investigators learnt that one of the owners of the company had originally lived in a different province. Traces of the individual in his home province identified that he was involved with another company that had been embroiled in a series of corruption allegations. The individual was not named in any press reports but was identified as a former principal of the company which was now owned by another family member. The allegations stemmed from his time at the company and court cases were set to be initiated against the company and the individual in the near future.
Pre Transaction Due Diligence
A global technology company was in the process of taking over a major competitor. However, a number of commitments had been made to shareholders regarding the deal in order for them to agree to the process. Asia Diligence was hired by the counsel of several shareholders to independently investigate the deal and ensure that there were no hidden risks. The target company’s information and background were checked, identifying a number of potentially adverse issues. However, during the course of the investigations, human source intelligence from one country contradicted some of the agreements to shareholders by the original company. Follow up investigations in a third country revealed that the commitments, over the location of future major manufacturing facilities, were hollow, as a brand new, large scale facility was under construction in that country. The information was raised during a meeting of major shareholders and the process was blocked by the relevant shareholders as the deal would have seen a downscaling of local facilities and offshoring, against the policies of the investors involved.
ASSET TRACE
A multinational corporation was involved in a legal suit with a client who was refusing to pay a significant sum of money. The company’s main office was in a major country in Eastern Europe and it had important government connections that made it extremely influential and legal proceedings complex and difficult to undertake. Asia Diligence traced the company and identified many subsidiary and related companies throughout the world. Key companies were identified from the researched information and their assets were consequently traced to identify the best companies/jurisdictions to pursue. Subsequently the client was able to press its claim against the company in a more neutral jurisdiction.
Individual Trace
An insurance company needed to trace over 15 individuals who were last understood to be located in six different jurisdictions in Asia. Asia Diligence was provided with minimal information, much of it dating back over 20 years, including partial or inaccurate addresses, dates of birth and sometimes incomplete names. The client admitted that they had little hope of locating any of the individuals. Investigations were conducted initially through open source media, and then using databases and resources to follow up each lead located, using resources as wide-ranging as birth, death and marriage documents, court records, driving licence information, and property and company ownership. All of the individuals were tracked down, or in some cases their closest relatives as several were deceased, and contact details provided to the client, who admitted to being amazed with the results.
BOILER ROOM / FRAUD
A private client had purchased shares in a company in Asia that was reportedly involved in cutting edge technology research and development, but had later been approached by an unknown US company that offered to purchase the shares at a healthy profit. Asia Diligence traced the company in the US and discovered that it was not registered, and bore all the hallmarks of a boiler room operation. Further investigations were conducted on the original technology company and discovered that it was a fraud. Our commercial investigations identified that its products were fake or had been digitally altered and the company’s endorsements were found to be counterfeit. The individual behind the fraud was identified and his residence was located in South East Asia.