Conducting Witness Interviews in Cross- Border MEA Investigations: Rapport, Culture, and Credibility

In the previous instalment in this series, we considered third-party misconduct in distributor-led markets, and the need for companies to follow the facts beyond the contract, beyond the invoice, and sometimes beyond the third party itself.

For global companies operating in the Middle East and Africa, the challenge is often to apply an investigation process that is credible to parent-company leadership, global legal and compliance teams, auditors, and potentially enforcement authorities, while still gathering facts in a local environment where communication styles, hierarchies, languages, and expectations may differ significantly.

For that reason, a culturally sensitive interview approach is often crucial to maintaining employee trust and gathering relevant information effectively. It requires judgment and credibility, as well as the ability to build rapport while maintaining clarity about the interviewer’s role. In many cases, the investigation team must act as a bridge between global expectations and local realities.

This instalment considers three factors that can make a meaningful difference in MEA investigations: rapport, cultural awareness, and credibility.