Discovering or suspecting the authorities are investigating you regarding a criminal offense can be traumatic. It could cause you to do something that may not have fully considered the consequences of or simply do not realize the potential consequences of.
While an investigation could result in no further action, it is already a serious matter so you must avoid doing anything that could worsen your situation.
Destroying evidence
It is much harder for the police to charge someone without evidence. It is also much harder for the prosecution to secure a conviction without evidence to back their arguments up. Thus, some people under investigation figure that destroying anything that could be considered evidence is clever. The truth is, that doing so could, in itself, be a prosecutable offense.
Saying too much
“We’d like to ask you a few questions” may sound innocuous enough, however, you need to take great care with what you say to the police or other investigating authorities. Or indeed to anyone with regard to the investigation.
The things you say could be used against you, however innocent the words you say might seem. Exercising your legal right to stay silent is usually best, at least until you get legal guidance on how to answer.
Telling others what to say or not say
Maybe you realize you made a mistake. You then go to a colleague who knows what happened and tell them they need to say a certain thing if the police ask them about it. Or perhaps you tell them not to say anything at all. If the police discover this they may believe you have been trying to unduly influence the outcome of their investigation, or that you have been intimidating witnesses. This could land you in further legal problems.
It can be difficult to know what to do when facing a criminal investigation. Early legal guidance is therefore a wise choice.