Report to the dawn raid coordinator. Follow their instructions. Record what happens.
Step-by-step plan: ICT Staff
Communicate only with the dawn raid coordinator and the lawyer. Do not discuss the investigation with anyone else, including other colleagues, suppliers, clients, relatives, or friends. Do not share any information about the dawn raid on social media or with the press.
Do not provide information on your own initiative. Do not show any other data or data platforms without being asked to. Do not say anything about the IT organisation without being asked to. Do not do, say or provide anything unless you are asked to do so.
Do not answer any substantive questions from the government agency ‘in passing’/in an informal setting. The government agency can use everything. Answer substantive questions only during an interview.
ask the dawn raid coordinator or lawyer for assistance if the government agency asks for data. Cooperation is not mandatory in a criminal investigation, but it is in an administrative investigation. Decide whether or not cooperation is necessary: allowing the search or cooperating.
- Criminal investigation: cooperation is not mandatory. The government agency is permitted to conduct its own search. Allow it to do so. You are not obliged to cooperate or assist, but you can if you so wish. It can sometimes be advisable to assist in order to keep the search within bounds.
- Administrative investigation: cooperation is, in principle, mandatory. The government agency is not permitted to conduct a search, but must ask for information through search terms, subjects, persons involved, time periods, etc. In principle, you are obliged to cooperate. Ask the dawn raid coordinator or lawyer whether you are required to cooperate with a specific request. Then provide the requested information, and nothing more. Only information that is out of scope, privileged or private does not need to be provided.
Make notes of all questions, answers, search terms/selection criteria used, data provided, any objections and arrangements.
