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.

The Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency participates in a Crime Prevention Conference in the instrumental public sector

Press release

Valencia, March 24, 2022.- The Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency participated on March 24 in the Conference on “Prevention of crime in the instrumental public sector” organized by the Conselleria d’Hisenda de la Generalitat Valenciana.

The day had experts in the legal field, integrity and cybersecurity was followed by more than 70 people in person and by another 300 did it virtually.

The day was inaugurated by the Minister of Finance and Economic Model, Vicent Soler and Isabel Castelló, general director of Public Sector and Heritage of the Generalitat Valenciana. The first of the interventions was carried out by José Manuel García Duarte, general director of Information and Communications Technologies and Carmen Serrano Durbá, general subdirectorate of Cybersecurity who addressed the novelties in cybersecurity in a high-risk context such as the current one, as well as the professionalization in which cyberthreats have evolved.

Adrián Todolí, professor of labour law and social security at the University of Valencia, in his speech analysed the latest changes in labour regulations from the perspective of public and private law.

On behalf of the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency, the head of the Prevention Service, Irene Bravo, participated, who explained the benefits of integrity plans for the instrumental public sector since it allows detecting risks and implementing strategic planning. He also released the Guide that the Agency has prepared along with other materials to help public institutions develop their public integrity plans.

The Director of Analysis and Investigation of the Agency, Gustavo Segura, also participated in the conference, who spoke about the complaint mailboxes, as well as the possibility of presenting anonymous complaints, as one of the most effective instruments in the fight against fraud and corruption.

The director of the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency, Joan Llinares, was in charge of the closing of the day and pointed out that “the organization of this type of conference in collaboration with other institutions, such as in this case with the Conselleria d’Hisenda, allow us to find spaces to debate and reflect on the importance that ethics and public integrity have in the work carried out in our public administrations”.

“The existence of complaints boxes where people can warn about actions constituting fraud and corruption, and the adoption of prevention mechanisms so that they do not occur, are the pillars where this framework of public integrity should be based,” Llinares added.  

The director of the Anti-Fraud Office of Catalonia and the director of the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency have signed an agreement to extend the framework collaboration agreement

Press release

The director of the Anti-Fraud Office of Catalonia, Miguel Ángel Gimeno, and the director of the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency, Joan Llinares, have signed an agreement to extend the framework collaboration agreement that both institutions have maintained since 2018.

This agreement aims to maintain a permanent channel of collaboration and communication to improve efficiency in meeting objectives of common interest. Among other actions framed in this collaboration agreement are the sharing of information and practical experiences in the prevention and detection of corruption, the promotion of integrity and transparency both bilaterally and within the framework of the different forums in which both institutions participate.