Forensic Investigations
Fraud, corruption, theft, procurement irregularities, conflicts of interest, invoice fraud, tender concerns and internal misconduct.
Stealth Defence Risk & Forensic Services supports attorneys, insurers, mining operations, corporates and private clients with forensic investigations, tracing, lifestyle audits, due diligence, intelligence and risk advisory services across South Africa.
We assist decision makers where reputational exposure, litigation risk, commercial loss, employment risk or personal risk requires professional investigation and disciplined reporting.
Our work includes corporate fraud, procurement irregularities, supplier integrity, tracing, lifestyle audits, workplace misconduct, insurance claim enquiries, mining risk matters and attorney support.
Built around the needs of attorneys, insurers, employers, mining operations, executives and private clients.
Fraud, corruption, theft, procurement irregularities, conflicts of interest, invoice fraud, tender concerns and internal misconduct.
Assessment of unexplained wealth indicators, undeclared interests, source-of-funds concerns and lifestyle-risk inconsistencies.
Counterparty enquiries, counterparty checks, executive screening, adverse media, CIPC/directorship indicators and integrity risk reviews.
Open-source intelligence, link analysis, social footprint review, adverse media, risk indicators and intelligence briefing notes.
Bullying, harassment, misconduct, disciplinary support, witness statements, evidence bundles and management reporting.
Operational, reputational, supplier, security and integrity risk assessments with practical recommendations and executive reporting.
Successful litigation is often determined by facts, evidence and intelligence that are not immediately available to the legal team. Documents may be incomplete, witnesses may be difficult to locate, assets may be concealed, relationships between parties may not be apparent, and critical information may sit outside the court file, outside the pleadings and beyond the information available to the attorney at the outset of the matter.
Stealth Defence assists attorneys, advocates, insurers, corporate legal departments and private clients with discreet investigative support designed to uncover facts, identify evidence, locate witnesses, trace assets and develop intelligence relevant to litigation strategy.
Our role is not to provide legal advice. Our role is to assist legal teams in obtaining facts, evidence and intelligence that may strengthen their understanding of a matter and assist in advancing their client's interests.
Commercial disputes often involve significant financial exposure and complex factual circumstances. Stealth Defence assists legal teams by investigating procurement disputes, breach of contract allegations, commercial fraud, misrepresentation, contractor disputes, director and shareholder disputes, supplier-related investigations, corruption allegations, conflict-of-interest concerns and undisclosed commercial relationships.
Litigation frequently turns on information that is not immediately available to the legal team. Understanding who is connected to whom, who may possess relevant information, who ultimately benefits from a transaction and where evidence may be located can significantly influence litigation strategy.
In many disputes, the true ownership of assets, companies and commercial interests is not immediately apparent. Assets may be held through related entities, nominees, family members, trusts or complex corporate structures.
Where losses have been suffered through fraud, misrepresentation or unlawful conduct, identifying the movement of value is often critical. We assist legal teams in understanding where value may have moved, who may have benefited and what investigative avenues may remain available.
Adrian has been involved in investigative, intelligence and advisory assignments associated with significant commercial disputes, claims, losses and business interests, including matters where the value under consideration approached US$1 billion.
His experience spans the mining, insurance, industrial and corporate sectors and includes fraud investigations, corruption matters, procurement investigations, hidden asset enquiries, litigation support assignments, due diligence investigations and intelligence-led enquiries.
Attorneys engage Adrian because he combines investigative experience with commercial understanding, allowing him to identify information that may otherwise remain undiscovered.
The objective is straightforward: to assist attorneys in obtaining the facts, evidence and intelligence required to make informed decisions, strengthen legal arguments and pursue successful outcomes for their clients.

Location of individuals, witnesses, debtors, beneficiaries and relevant parties for legal or commercial purposes.
Indicators of assets, business interests, property links, lifestyle indicators and commercial associations.
Directorships, company structures, related parties, supplier links, relationship mapping and adverse indicators.
Contractor fraud, procurement irregularities, illegal mining indicators, site risk, supply chain investigations and industrial misconduct.
Operational risk, inventory loss, supplier integrity, theft, contract irregularities and industrial-sector investigations.
Claims validation, fraud indicators, background enquiries, lifestyle indicators, tracing and evidentiary reporting.
Commercial disputes, workplace matters, due diligence, executive concerns, litigation support and fraud investigations.
Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) | International Association of Financial Crimes Investigators (IAFCI)
Adrian van Straaten is a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE), forensic investigator and intelligence practitioner with extensive experience across the mining, insurance, commercial and industrial sectors. He has led and supported investigations involving fraud, corruption, procurement irregularities, contractor misconduct, hidden assets, insurance claims and complex commercial disputes.
Adrian has been involved in investigative, intelligence and advisory matters associated with significant claims, disputes, losses and commercial interests, including assignments linked to matters approaching US$1 billion in value. His work has supported executives, attorneys, insurers, multinational organisations, mining operations and private clients requiring discreet, evidence-driven investigative support.
His work combines forensic investigation, intelligence gathering, OSINT research, interviewing, due diligence, document review and commercial risk analysis. He focuses on producing findings that are commercially relevant, legally defensible and capable of withstanding scrutiny in disciplinary, civil, insurance, recovery and litigation environments.
Complex fraud investigations, litigation support, insurance claims, hidden asset investigations, procurement investigations, mining-sector investigations, due diligence and integrity assessments.
Adrian has worked on matters involving major commercial disputes, procurement fraud, contractor misconduct, insurance claims, hidden asset enquiries, corruption investigations and integrity matters across multiple industries.
Attorneys brief Adrian where they require discreet fact-finding, witness tracing, intelligence gathering, background enquiries, document review, evidence development and clear reporting to support litigation strategy, settlement decisions or further legal action.
Insurers engage Adrian to assist with claim validation, fraud indicators, claimant profiling, incident enquiries, asset and lifestyle indicators, third-party verification and evidence-led claims investigation support.
Mining houses engage Adrian for fraud, corruption, contractor investigations, procurement irregularities, conflicts of interest, workplace misconduct, due diligence, intelligence gathering and integrity-related investigations in operationally sensitive environments.
A focused forensic, intelligence and litigation support practice built around discreet enquiries, clear reporting and practical decision support.
Certified Fraud Examiner and member of the International Association of Financial Crimes Investigators, supporting credibility in fraud, financial crime and investigative matters.
Experience across corporate, mining, contractor management, supply chain, procurement and insurance-related environments.
Findings structured for attorneys, insurers, executives, HR, disciplinary processes and commercial decision-makers.
Forensic fraud investigations, corruption indicators, procurement irregularities, invoice fraud, conflicts of interest, contractor misconduct, workplace investigations and evidence-led reporting.
Mining, insurance claims, litigation support, corporate due diligence, supplier integrity, lifestyle audits, private investigations, intelligence and OSINT enquiries.
Successful litigation is often determined by facts, evidence and intelligence that are not immediately available to the legal team. Documents may be incomplete, witnesses may be difficult to locate, assets may be concealed, relationships between parties may not be apparent, and critical information may sit outside the court file, outside the pleadings and beyond the information available to the attorney at the outset of the matter.
Stealth Defence assists attorneys, advocates, insurers, corporate legal departments and private clients with discreet investigative support designed to uncover facts, identify evidence, locate witnesses, trace assets and develop intelligence relevant to litigation strategy.
Our role is not to provide legal advice. Our role is to assist legal teams in obtaining facts, evidence and intelligence that may strengthen their understanding of a matter and assist in advancing their client's interests.
Commercial disputes often involve significant financial exposure and complex factual circumstances. Stealth Defence assists legal teams by investigating procurement disputes, breach of contract allegations, commercial fraud, misrepresentation, contractor disputes, director and shareholder disputes, supplier-related investigations, corruption allegations, conflict-of-interest concerns and undisclosed commercial relationships.
Litigation frequently turns on information that is not immediately available to the legal team. Understanding who is connected to whom, who may possess relevant information, who ultimately benefits from a transaction and where evidence may be located can significantly influence litigation strategy.
In many disputes, the true ownership of assets, companies and commercial interests is not immediately apparent. Assets may be held through related entities, nominees, family members, trusts or complex corporate structures.
Where losses have been suffered through fraud, misrepresentation or unlawful conduct, identifying the movement of value is often critical. We assist legal teams in understanding where value may have moved, who may have benefited and what investigative avenues may remain available.
Adrian has been involved in investigative, intelligence and advisory assignments associated with significant commercial disputes, claims, losses and business interests, including matters where the value under consideration approached US$1 billion.
His experience spans the mining, insurance, industrial and corporate sectors and includes fraud investigations, corruption matters, procurement investigations, hidden asset enquiries, litigation support assignments, due diligence investigations and intelligence-led enquiries.
Attorneys engage Adrian because he combines investigative experience with commercial understanding, allowing him to identify information that may otherwise remain undiscovered.
The objective is straightforward: to assist attorneys in obtaining the facts, evidence and intelligence required to make informed decisions, strengthen legal arguments and pursue successful outcomes for their clients.
Clarify the matter, sensitivity, risk, legal context and required outcome before commencing work.
Define enquiry objectives, information sources, interviews, tracing steps, evidence requirements and reporting format.
Gather and assess information through lawful, discreet and evidence-led enquiries, OSINT, tracing and verification.
Identify facts, inconsistencies, risk indicators, corroboration, gaps and practical implications.
Provide clear, factual findings suitable for attorney, insurer, management or disciplinary review.
Support further enquiries, referrals, disciplinary action, claims decisions or litigation strategy where required.
We assist with discreet, evidence-led enquiries across corporate, legal, insurance, mining and private-client matters.
Fraud, corruption indicators, bribery concerns, internal misconduct and matters requiring independent factual enquiry.
Tender irregularities, conflicts of interest, invoice fraud, supplier collusion and contractor-related concerns.
Suspicious claims, claims validation, loss verification, fraud indicators and supporting evidence review.
Comprehensive lifestyle and wealth analysis, unexplained wealth indicators, hidden asset enquiries, beneficial ownership reviews, source-of-funds assessments and integrity-focused investigations supporting disciplinary, civil and recovery actions.
Witness tracing, beneficiary tracing, debtor tracing, asset indicators, director tracing and relationship mapping.
Harassment, bullying, conflicts of interest, abuse of authority, ethics concerns and disciplinary support enquiries.
Corporate, individual and transaction-focused background enquiries, integrity reviews and reputational risk indicators.
Contractor fraud, supplier integrity, procurement concerns, site-related misconduct and mining-sector risk enquiries.
Related-party indicators, undisclosed interests, supplier links, employee associations and integrity concerns.
Industry-specific investigation training for corporate investigators, security managers, HR practitioners, internal auditors, compliance teams, insurers and mining-sector personnel.
Contractor fraud, procurement irregularities, supplier integrity, asset theft, evidence gathering and site-related misconduct investigations.
Claims validation, suspicious claim indicators, interview techniques, document review, evidence preservation and reporting.
Harassment, bullying, misconduct, disciplinary investigations, interviewing, statement taking and factual report writing.
Fraud indicators, procurement fraud, conflicts of interest, lifestyle audits, due diligence and intelligence-led enquiries.
Practical methods for planning interviews, obtaining reliable statements and documenting evidence.
Open-source intelligence, adverse media, digital footprint reviews, relationship mapping and risk intelligence briefs.
Professional insights for attorneys, insurers, corporates, mining operations and private clients.
Common indicators of suspicious claims and why independent verification matters.
How lifestyle audits assist in identifying unexplained wealth and integrity concerns.
Red flags linked to suppliers, tenders, invoices and conflicts of interest.
Why locating and verifying witnesses can materially strengthen legal matters.
Key checks before appointing suppliers, contractors or business counterparties.
How open-source intelligence supports modern investigations and risk assessments.
Forensic, intelligence, tracing and litigation support matters are handled discreetly and professionally.
Tel: 087 379 5010
Cell: 082 599 5984
Email: adrian@stealthdefence.co.za
Website: www.stealthdefence.co.za