Neli Seng
Senior Associate | Johannesburg
Contact
T: +27 11 669 9367
Overview
Neli Seng is a specialised investigation, compliance, governance and regulatory lawyer and a Certified Fraud Examiner.
Neli has experience in advising multinational corporates, state-owned entities, boards, and executive leadership on complex investigations, financial crime risk, and governance matters across Africa.
She focuses on bribery, corruption, fraud, procurement irregularities and money laundering matters involving domestic and international corruption legislation, including but not limited to the Financial Intelligence Centre Act, Proceeds of Crime Act, Public Finance Management Act, Criminal Procedure Act, Prevention and Combatting of Corrupt Activities Act and Municipal Finance Management Act
Neli has experience in designing and directing investigation strategies from inception to remediation scoping allegations, preserving legal privilege, coordinating forensic accountants and digital forensics specialists, conducting executive interviews, and reporting findings and recommendations to boards, audit and risk committees, and regulators. She is particularly skilled at translating complex forensic findings into clear, practical advice that enables leadership to act decisively.
Beyond reactive investigations, she acts as an advisor on proactive risk mitigation conducting due diligences and strengthening whistleblowing frameworks.
She is known for her calm, credible presence with senior stakeholders and her ability to manage sensitive matters involving executives, regulators, and law enforcement. Her sector experience includes financial services, mining, public sector and state-owned entities, manufacturing, healthcare
Experience
Jurisdictions worked in: South Africa
Languages fluent in: English, isiZulu, xiTsonga and siSwati
Neli has the following experience:
Investigations and Dispute Support
- An investigation into allegations of fraud, employee misconduct and corruption on behalf of a mining company based in Botswana.
- An investigation into allegations of corruption and sabotage at a mining company based in the DRC.
- Investigating a procurement fraud syndicate on behalf of a big mining company, her responsibilities included investigating, communicating with various stakeholders on behalf of the mine, advising on termination of implicated vendors, gathering information from various whistle-blowers including employees, community members, union members and vendors of the mine. The mandate also included ensuring evidentiary compliance, and advising on recovery options, including execution against pension benefits under the Pension Funds Act.
- Assisted a leading global mining group with a forensic data analytics project into their global procurement operations. The results identified multiple red flag areas for client’s further assessment, including control deficiencies, procurement red flags and governance areas requiring improvement.
- Investigations into procurement fraud in relation to a number of state entities on behalf of the National Treasury.
- Assisted a public finance institution with complex investigations into the use and misappropriation of investment funds by funded entities, including reviews of governance failures, suspected financial irregularities, and the conduct of business rescue practitioners appointed to manage entities under formal business rescue proceedings.
- Assisted an American pharmaceutical company with an internal investigation in order to respond to queries raised by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority.
- Assisted the Council for Medical Schemes with investigations arising from whistleblowing complaints.
- Conducting investigations into allegations of employee misconduct, fraud, and corruption in the private and public sector, including procurement irregularities, and advising on the dismissal of employees implicated in wrongdoing following an investigation and initiating disciplinary proceedings.
- Testifying in disciplinary proceedings following the conclusion of investigations.
Enforcement support
- Advising and assisting the National Prosecution Authority and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, in various cases including fraud, corruption and procurement irregularities by government officials and private entities.
- Preparing and submitting criminal reports to South Africa’s Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks) in terms of section 34 of PRECCA. Including providing support to enforcement authorities in investigations and criminal cases.
- Assisting the National Prosecution Authority and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation with a criminal investigation relating to the procurement of Personal Protective Equipment.
- Advising a global IT entity in responding to queries from the Special Investigating Unit and a Commission of Enquiry.
Advisory, Risk, Compliance and Regulatory services
- Conducting governance due diligences to identify financial crime related risks.
- Conducting anti‑bribery and corruption (ABAC) and compliance reviews as part of pre‑ and post‑acquisition due diligence processes, as well as ongoing monitoring exercises.
- Advising clients on aspects of fraud prevention, detection and enforcement.
- Providing training to employees including directors and senior executives in relation to compliance with anti-corruption and anti-money laundering laws in South Africa.
- Drafting, implementing, commenting and providing training on policies and procedures relating to corruption, bribery, fraud and other financial crimes.
- Reviewing the whistleblowing management system of one of Africa’s largest mobile network operator and making recommendations on how the policies and processes can be improved in line with the legislation and internation best practices. Our advice also included how AI can be used to enhance whistleblowing blowing systems to build trust with relevant stakeholders and ensure efficiency in how investigations are conducted.
- Providing legal advice on the application of anti-bribery and corruption and anti-money laundering laws in South Africa including international best practice.
- Drafting and commenting on anti-bribery and corruption clauses in commercial agreements.
AREA OF EXPERTISE
Qualifications
Education
- BA Law and Politics, University of Witwatersrand.
- Bachelor of Laws, (with distinction), University of Witwatersrand.
- Postgraduate Certificate – Risk, Compliance and Governance, University of the Witwatersrand.
Professional Memberships
- Associate, Association of Certified Fraud Examiners.
- Certified Fraud Examiner
- Affiliate, Institute of Commercial Forensic Practitioners.
INSIGHTS
Overview
Neli Seng is a specialised investigation, compliance, governance and regulatory lawyer and a Certified Fraud Examiner.
Neli has experience in advising multinational corporates, state-owned entities, boards, and executive leadership on complex investigations, financial crime risk, and governance matters across Africa.
She focuses on bribery, corruption, fraud, procurement irregularities and money laundering matters involving domestic and international corruption legislation, including but not limited to the Financial Intelligence Centre Act, Proceeds of Crime Act, Public Finance Management Act, Criminal Procedure Act, Prevention and Combatting of Corrupt Activities Act and Municipal Finance Management Act
Neli has experience in designing and directing investigation strategies from inception to remediation scoping allegations, preserving legal privilege, coordinating forensic accountants and digital forensics specialists, conducting executive interviews, and reporting findings and recommendations to boards, audit and risk committees, and regulators. She is particularly skilled at translating complex forensic findings into clear, practical advice that enables leadership to act decisively.
Beyond reactive investigations, she acts as an advisor on proactive risk mitigation conducting due diligences and strengthening whistleblowing frameworks.
She is known for her calm, credible presence with senior stakeholders and her ability to manage sensitive matters involving executives, regulators, and law enforcement. Her sector experience includes financial services, mining, public sector and state-owned entities, manufacturing, healthcare
Experience
Jurisdictions worked in: South Africa
Languages fluent in: English, isiZulu, xiTsonga and siSwati
Neli has the following experience:
Investigations and Dispute Support
- An investigation into allegations of fraud, employee misconduct and corruption on behalf of a mining company based in Botswana.
- An investigation into allegations of corruption and sabotage at a mining company based in the DRC.
- Investigating a procurement fraud syndicate on behalf of a big mining company, her responsibilities included investigating, communicating with various stakeholders on behalf of the mine, advising on termination of implicated vendors, gathering information from various whistle-blowers including employees, community members, union members and vendors of the mine. The mandate also included ensuring evidentiary compliance, and advising on recovery options, including execution against pension benefits under the Pension Funds Act.
- Assisted a leading global mining group with a forensic data analytics project into their global procurement operations. The results identified multiple red flag areas for client’s further assessment, including control deficiencies, procurement red flags and governance areas requiring improvement.
- Investigations into procurement fraud in relation to a number of state entities on behalf of the National Treasury.
- Assisted a public finance institution with complex investigations into the use and misappropriation of investment funds by funded entities, including reviews of governance failures, suspected financial irregularities, and the conduct of business rescue practitioners appointed to manage entities under formal business rescue proceedings.
- Assisted an American pharmaceutical company with an internal investigation in order to respond to queries raised by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority.
- Assisted the Council for Medical Schemes with investigations arising from whistleblowing complaints.
- Conducting investigations into allegations of employee misconduct, fraud, and corruption in the private and public sector, including procurement irregularities, and advising on the dismissal of employees implicated in wrongdoing following an investigation and initiating disciplinary proceedings.
- Testifying in disciplinary proceedings following the conclusion of investigations.
Enforcement support
- Advising and assisting the National Prosecution Authority and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, in various cases including fraud, corruption and procurement irregularities by government officials and private entities.
- Preparing and submitting criminal reports to South Africa’s Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks) in terms of section 34 of PRECCA. Including providing support to enforcement authorities in investigations and criminal cases.
- Assisting the National Prosecution Authority and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation with a criminal investigation relating to the procurement of Personal Protective Equipment.
- Advising a global IT entity in responding to queries from the Special Investigating Unit and a Commission of Enquiry.
Advisory, Risk, Compliance and Regulatory services
- Conducting governance due diligences to identify financial crime related risks.
- Conducting anti‑bribery and corruption (ABAC) and compliance reviews as part of pre‑ and post‑acquisition due diligence processes, as well as ongoing monitoring exercises.
- Advising clients on aspects of fraud prevention, detection and enforcement.
- Providing training to employees including directors and senior executives in relation to compliance with anti-corruption and anti-money laundering laws in South Africa.
- Drafting, implementing, commenting and providing training on policies and procedures relating to corruption, bribery, fraud and other financial crimes.
- Reviewing the whistleblowing management system of one of Africa’s largest mobile network operator and making recommendations on how the policies and processes can be improved in line with the legislation and internation best practices. Our advice also included how AI can be used to enhance whistleblowing blowing systems to build trust with relevant stakeholders and ensure efficiency in how investigations are conducted.
- Providing legal advice on the application of anti-bribery and corruption and anti-money laundering laws in South Africa including international best practice.
- Drafting and commenting on anti-bribery and corruption clauses in commercial agreements.
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