The Valencia Anti-Fraud Agency facilitates the recovery of 29 million euros in 3 years and keeps 30 individuals and 1 legal person (company) protected

Press release

Valencia, June 23, 2023. Today, June 23, is the World Day of the Whistleblower of Corruption and the Agency has organized for this reason a day to commemorate this celebration that coincides with the enactment this year of Law 2/2023 on the protection of the whistleblower of corruption. 

The main conference of the day was given by Alba Lema, international president of the World Compliance Association. Alba Lema specializes in the implementation of compliance management systems as well as in the design and implementation of integrity and business ethics programs in organizations, both nationally and internationally.

This was followed by a round table moderated by the Agency’s Deputy Director of Legal Affairs, Teresa Clemente, with the participation of Arturo León, President of the Economic and Social Committee (ESC); Ana Móner, vice president of the Valencian Association of Consumers (AVACU), and Juan Vega, lawyer of the Agency.

The director of the Agency, Joan Llinares, opened the conference and highlighted “the importance of a day like today in which we want to value the fundamental role played by people who alert, report or report fraud and corruption”. “The Agency was the first authority in Spain to have a Protection Statute for whistleblowers of corruption and currently has 30 individuals and one legal person (company) under protection,” added Llinares.

“This effective protection of whistleblowers, together with the more than 29 million euros of recoverable amounts in the last 3 years, are undoubtedly the best guarantees of the work carried out by the Agency. To this we have to add all that intangible value that cannot be quantified in money derived from the training and prevention actions that the Agency carries out in terms of ethics and public integrity.  How many people have not committed an act of fraud and corruption knowing that there is an Agency that can investigate and prosecute this type of action?” concluded Llinares.

 

The Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency presents the book “Code of Integrity of the Valencian Community”

Press release

Valencia, June 22, 2023.-  The Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency has presented this morning in the Assembly Hall of the building annexed to the Corts Valencianes the book “Code of Integrity of the Valencian Community” that has been published together with the publishing house Tirant Lo Blanch.

The book reviews the main international standards to continue with European, state and regional regulations. This book is configured as a practical tool for all those people and institutions that want to access the published regulations on integrity, also providing a novel methodology that also includes a glossary of terms and an analytical index.

The publication has been made both in paper format and in e-book format for digital consultation which also has an expanded and commented selection of the regulations contained in the paper edition. This digital edition will also allow the permanent updating of the regulations as they change or expand.

The presentation was given by Marisa Cuerda, president of the Ethics Committee of the Agency and professor of Criminal Law at the Universitat Jaume I de Castelló, who highlighted the role played by the Agency in improving the corruption rates of the Valencian Community as highlighted by the European Commission or the State Attorney General’s Office.

For her part, Irene Bravo, head of prevention of the Agency and coordinator of the publication, has pointed out the novel aspect of this code as it is a pioneer in the regional and state level that wants to contribute to the consolidation of the culture of public integrity in the Valencian Community.

María Campo, director of edition of Tirant Lo Blanch thanked the collaboration with the Agency for the edition of this work that she hopes will contribute to democratic regeneration and to face “a corruption that breaks our democratic system into pieces”.

Finally, Joan Llinares, director of the Agency, pointed out that “codification is a legal technique that helps all those who have to apply, defend and develop laws, integrity being the largest source of income for public administrations”.

You can access the electronic publication at the following link

The Attorney General’s Office and the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency strengthen the fight against corruption

Press release

Madrid, June 19, 2023.- The Attorney General of the State, Álvaro García Ortiz, and the directors of the anti-fraud agencies and offices of different autonomous communities, including that of the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency, Joan Llinares, have signed on Monday a collaboration agreement that aims to strengthen the fight against corruption. The other signatories are the heads of the anti-fraud agencies of the Balearic Islands, Cristóbal Milán; Catalonia, Miguel Ángel Gimeno; and Andalusia, Ricardo Puyol.

The agreement, which has an initial validity of four years, is part of a strategic plan to fight corruption and fraud promoted by the Attorney General’s Office. Its objective is to establish lines of collaboration between the signatory institutions in those areas in which the competences normatively attributed to the Public Prosecutor’s Office and to the Anti-Fraud Offices or Agencies converge.

In this way, when any of the signatory Offices or Agencies are aware that the facts they are examining or have been able to examine may be related to the facts being investigated by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, they will interrupt their proceedings and make available to the Prosecutor the information they have, in addition to providing the necessary assistance.

On the other hand, and without prejudice to the functions attributed to the Court of Auditors and to the bodies with administrative-sanctioning competence, when as a result of its investigations the Public Prosecutor’s Office obtains indications of the commission of facts that could constitute an administrative offense, it will transfer them to the Anti-Fraud Agencies and will make available the necessary documentation for its action. Cases in which the secret processing of the proceedings is necessary in order not to prejudice the investigation are excluded.

Likewise, if on the occasion of its intervention in a judicial procedure in which it is a party, the Public Prosecutor’s Office concludes that the facts incur administrative irregularities, in addition to procedurally positioning itself urging what is appropriate, it will request the judicial body to send testimony of sufficient background to the anti-fraud agencies, which in turn will inform the Prosecutor’s Office of the result of their actions. All this with the exception of the cases in which the secret processing of the proceedings is necessary.

Anti-fraud bodies shall support the Public Prosecutor’s Office through opinions, reports or other technical actions as necessary. In addition, the Attorney General’s Office and anti-fraud agencies will organize training activities aimed at the staff of the signatory institutions and will collaborate in the protection of whistleblowers, witnesses and experts in accordance with the current legal framework.