Pre-Investment Integrity Due Diligence for an East African Infrastructure Acquisition

A leading U.S. law firm, known for providing expert counsel on complex cross-border transactions to Fortune 500 companies required a high-stakes pre-investment Integrity Due Diligence (IDD) for a multinational client. The client was considering an acquisition in East Africa’s infrastructure sector—a region with promising economic potential but notable regulatory and political complexity which presented significant exposure beyond the financials.

With significant capital and reputational equity at risk, and under a tight deadline to make decisions, the law firm required precise, risk intelligence to determine the acquisition of target’s integrity, compliance standing, and strategic alignment.

Aventel deployed a multidisciplinary due-diligence team combining forensic investigators, compliance analysts, and in-country intelligence specialists. Drawing two decades of field experience in high-risk jurisdictions, we executed a structured assessment designed to balance speed with analytical depth.

Key steps included:

• Verification of ownership structures and stakeholder identities.
• Mapping relationships across government, business, and civil society networks to detect hidden influence.
• Auditing governance, compliance, and ESG alignment.
• Identifying politically exposed persons (PEPs), potential corruption links, and reputational red flags.
  

Rather than simply delivering data, we helped the client understand the nuances and risks involved, which was critical for making informed decisions in a complex situation.

The investigation identified a few historical issues that posed moderate reputational risk, but no material regulatory or compliance threats. Aventel’s analysis confirmed compliance with both U.S. and host-country regulations and delivered actionable intelligence including mapping affiliated businesses, international stakeholders in the sector, minor civil suits, potential vulnerable investments, and the subject’s involvement with several NGOs.

These insights, paired with structured risk mitigation strategies in the client’s final investment memorandum, equipped them with practical steps to address identified issues.

Aventel’s ability to deliver precise, contextual intelligence under tight deadlines positioned us as a strategic partner bridging legal, regulatory, and reputational insights across continents.