Johan is a specialist in procurement and supply chain management and compliance and regulatory law and has conducted many investigations into Ponzi and Pyramid schemes and other financial fraud.

Day to day, his work entails providing governance and compliance advice, interrogating large volumes of electronic data, conducting interviews and project-managing multidisciplinary teams of accountants, lawyers and data analysts investigating the complex forensic matters that Bowmans undertakes for corporate and public service clients. Sound project management is key to ensure timeous delivery and cost-effective working.

By virtue of the work he does, Johan has to take individual rights into account as a matter of course and his LLM in cyberlaw and human rights reflects this.

One of the most important elements of a successful corporate investigation is that an investigator’s methods must be beyond reproach and the evidence must stand up in court. Meticulous evidence-gathering has been a hallmark of Johan’s 30-year career in corporate investigations, as has his knowledge of regulatory and compliance law and his respect for the rule of law.

With clients counting on the integrity of the results and, knowing that anyone implicated will be quick to challenge these, Johan and his team leave no stone unturned to ensure their evidence withstands scrutiny. In certain cases, he has approached the High Court to establish judicial oversight of his team’s work – a measure that the courts concerned have commended.

He and his team, acting in some of the largest corporate investigations conducted in South Africa to date, have litigated hundreds of times in almost all of the High Courts in SA and has recovered billions of rands for clients.

In the past few years, an increasing number of clients have approached Johan to conduct corporate intelligence reviews and due diligence checks on parties to prospective corporate transactions and to alert them to any red flags. With fraud and financial crime on the rise in South Africa, Johan says it is critical for clients to know their business partners and to have access to corporate intelligence that is sufficiently detailed and complex.

Johan is also a committee member on the cross-border fraud and corruption team of Lex Mundi, a leading international network of independent law firms.

Education

B Iuris, LLB, LLM in Cyberlaw and Human Rights (UFS, UNISA)

Professional memberships

• Admitted attorney of the High Court of South Africa
• Affiliate member of the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners South African Chapter
• Full member of the Institute of Commercial Forensic Practitioners
• Member of the cross-border fraud and corruption committee of Lex Mundi

Relevant Experience

Jurisdictions worked in: Botswana, Kenya, South Africa

He is recognised as one of the foremost specialists in the country for regulatory and compliance law and has been appointed by the SARB as a Temporary Inspector of Banks and Repayment Administrator to investigate a number of investment schemes, including a scheme known as Travel Ventures International with a total value exceeding R6 billion. He regularly represents other Inspectors and Repayment Administrators in complex matters relating to Banking Supervision. He was included on the list of general legal advisors for the SARB and the Auditor-General of South Africa in July 2015 and August 2016 respectively for a period of four years.

Other appointments such as investigating large IT Procurement Fraud, (2016/ 2017) investigating misconduct within the leadership of the CoCT, (2017/ 2018)  supply chain management investigations for Eskom (2017/2018 to date) and investigations involving the FCPA (Current) demonstrate the market’s recognition of his ability.

He also has extensive experience in the investigation of fraud and corruption in other jurisdictions in Africa.

Johan currently assists the Financial Surveillance Department of the SARB with investigations into contraventions of the Exchange Control Regulations. His role includes overseeing a team of forensic accountants investigating financial statement fraud, asset tracing and dealing with complex legal issues related to the Exchange Control Regulations and other relevant legislation.

A selection of relevant clients include:

• The South African Reserve Bank
• Auditor-General of South Africa;
• Cell C Limited;
• Deloitte
• Walmart
• Central Energy Fund (Pty) Limited;
• City of Cape Town;
• City Power Johannesburg (Pty) Limited;
• Companies and Intellectual Property Commission;
• Department of Water Affairs and Forestry;
• Eskom Holdings SOC Limited;
• National Treasury;
• State Information Technology Agency SOC Limited;
• The South African Revenue Services.

 

Awards

• Chambers and Partners consistently ranked Johan in Band 1 for Corporate Investigations for eight consecutive years (2016 to 2023).

‘Johan Kruger has consistently availed himself and his team when required to support, guide and enhance the client’s objective, mandate and deliverables.’ – Chambers and Partners, 2023

‘He provides a high quality of service, excellent turnaround times, and makes himself available.’ – Chambers and Partners, 2022

‘Head of practice Johan Kruger is held in high regard for his counsel on high-profile fraud, corruption and mismanagement  investigations in the public and private sectors. Market commentators value his “strong leadership skills and excellent business acumen,” commenting that he is “highly respected by clients,” before citing his “great ability to manage comprehensive multidisciplinary teams to a common purpose.”‘ – Chambers and Partners, 2021

‘Johan Kruger heads the firm’s governance, compliance and investigations practice and is widely lauded as “one of the best forensic investigators in South Africa.” Sources state: “He’s technically excellent and does not shy away from making big decisions.” He has extensive experience conducting large-scale investigations into alleged fraud, corruption and money laundering.’ – Chambers and Partners, 2019

‘Johan Kruger is head of the firm’s governance, compliance and investigations practice. He is highly regarded for his work in significant forensic investigations and has an exceptional track record in matters relating to fraud prevention. Commentators laud his “very good reputation” and describe him as a “very good investigator.”‘– Chambers and Partners, 2018

‘Johan Kruger attracts praise for his excellent track record in large forensic investigations, with notable proficiency in fraud prevention and white-collar crime concerns. Market commentators recognise his “very good reputation” and describe him as “an excellent investigator.” ‘–Chambers and Partners 2017

‘Johan Kruger garners praise from sources for his expertise in white-collar crime and experience managing complex inquiries. Market observers say: “He is a very experienced practitioner, and is very much focused on achieving practical results.”‘ – Chambers and Partners 2016

• COVID-19: The perfect storm for cyber criminals