The Universitat Jaume I and the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency sign a collaboration protocol to promote training and scientific actions

Press release

Castelló, april 4, 2022.- The rector of the Universitat Jaume I, Eva Alcón, and the director of the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency, Joan Llinares, have today signed a general protocol that defines the framework of academic, scientific and cultural collaboration between the two entities to develop, through specific agreements, the specific modalities of collaboration within the areas in which both entities have manifest interest.

The meeting was attended by the secretary general of the UJI, Cristina Pauner; the Vice-President of the Agency’s Participation Council, Ana María Fuertes; and the president of the Ethics Committee, María Luisa Cuerda, the two professors of the Universitat Jaume I, as well as Teresa Clemente, deputy director and director of legal affairs, and Víctor Almonacid, director of Training, Prevention and Documentation of the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency.

The rector Eva Alcón stressed that this protocol “encourages institutional cooperation, in this case, between the public university of Castellón and an independent and impartial entity that has entrusted, on the applied level, the prevention and eradication of fraud and corruption and the promotion of public ethics”.

For his part, the director of the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency, Joan Llinares, has pointed out that “the signing of this framework collaboration agreement with the Jaume I University of Castellón allows the Agency to participate in the training and creation of a public ethics and integrity of the students that will integrate our public and private organizations in the future”.

The protocol foresees the development, through specific agreements, of collaboration actions to facilitate the joint realization of cultural, educational, editorial and scientific activities; cooperate in general and specific training programmes and promote collaboration in research matters.

In addition, reciprocal access to bibliographic and documentation collections is also established; mutual advice; the joint development of projects and collaborative programmes in matters related to the activity of the two entities as well as technical assistance in the field of new technologies.

The scope of the collaboration also includes the student stays of the Universitat Jaume I in the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency, through educational cooperation programs and carry out those initiatives that are considered of mutual interest.

The Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency delivers its 2021 Activity Report to the President of the Generalitat

Press release

Valencia, April 1, 2022.- The director of the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency, Joan Llinares, has delivered this morning to the President of the Generalitat, Ximo Puig, the Activity Report of the Agency corresponding to the year 2021.

The event took place at the Palau de la Generalitat and is the first time that a copy of the Report is delivered in a formal act to the President of the Generalitat so that he knows first-hand the activity carried out by the Agency.

According to article 22 of Law 11/2016 on the creation of the Agency, the obligation to deliver the Report refers to les Corts Valencianes, to which it is attached, but this year it has been wanted, once the legal mandate has been fulfilled, to deliver it also to the maximum Valencian representative.

The Report includes the work carried out by the Agency in the area of training, prevention and documentation; the legal area and protection of whistleblowers; analysis and research; administration, recruitment and human resources and communication.

After the delivery of the Report, the President of the Generalitat met in addition to the director of the Agency, Joan Llinares, with the director of prevention, training and documentation, Víctor Almonacid, and with the deputy director and head of the area of legal affairs, Teresa Clemente.

Once the meeting was over, the director of the Agency declared that “with this formal  act of delivery of the Report, the Agency will transfer to  the President of the Generalitat the work we are doing in the fight against fraud and corruption”.

“We believe that only through the collaboration of all institutions and public entities will it be possible to end the scourge of corruption and work together to create a strong public ethics and integrity that makes our societies much more efficient and at the service of the general interest,” Llinares added.

The Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency presents to Les Corts its Activity Report of the year 2021

Press release

Valencia, March 29,  2022.- The Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency has presented to the Mesa de Les Corts its Activity Report corresponding to the year 2021, thus complying with the mandate contained in article 22 of Law 11/2016 on the creation of the Agency.

The award ceremony took place in the Pati de Les Corts and was attended by the President of Les Corts, Enric Morera, the members of the Table of Les Corts and a representation of the Ombudsmans.

On this occasion the Activity Report has been delivered through a QR code from which you can easily download the document. In this way, the AVAF contributes to the reduction of paper consumption and economic expenditure by adhering to the 2030 sustainability commitments.

The Report includes the activity carried out by the Agency in 2021 in the area of training, prevention and documentation; the legal and protection area of the complainant; analysis and research; administration, recruitment and human resources and communication.

After the act of delivery of the Report, the director of the AVAF, Joan Llinares, attended the media and highlighted some of the most relevant aspects included in the Report.

During 2021, the Agency has received 359 complaints, mainly through its Complaints Mailbox, which represents 58% more complaints compared to 2020. Since its creation in 2017, the Agency has opened a total of 969 investigation files.

A fact to highlight from the work carried out by the Agency is that it has determined that the amount recoverable by Valencian public institutions as a result of the investigations completed by the Agency in 2021 exceeds 23 million euros.

With regard to the training activity in 2021, the Agency has organized 43 training actions in which more than 1,800 people have participated, which has meant a considerable increase in relation to the 23 activities organized and the 827 people who participated in 2020.

It is also worth mentioning the elaboration during the year 2021 of a Guide along with various materials to help public institutions  develop their public integrity plans in accordance with the requirements of the Next Generation funds. The Agency also approved its Code of Ethics and Conduct and constituted its Ethics Committee.

The director of the Agency, Joan Llinares, has stated that “this Activity Report includes all the work done by the AVAF staff in their different areas during the year 2021, an especially significant year in which we have celebrated the 5th anniversary of the approval of the Law of creation of the Agency”.

“With the presentation of this Report to Les Corts, the Agency complies with this requirement and from this moment the document is available to all citizens on our website so that they can learn in more detail about the work we do in the fight against fraud and corruption and in the creation of ethics and public integrity,” added Llinares.