The ethics commission repealed by the new director of the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency, Eduardo Beut, presented a devastating letter to the Valencian courts in which it accuses the head of the institution elected with the votes of the PP and Vox of having eliminated the ethical code. from the organization four days after learning that she had been reported for “serious violations” of the same. The president of the Committee, now defunct, the professor of criminal law at the Jaume I University of Castelló, María Luisa Cuerda, assures in the letter that the principle of confidentiality of the internal affairs complaints mailbox has been violated by referring it to another general department. where they have access to people not previously authorized. In other words, the complainant himself would be put in danger.
Cuerda says he tried to meet with Beut formally in September and pressed him on the need to convene the ethics committee because there had been serious internal complaints that needed to be addressed. According to the same letter, the new director of the Anti-Fraud Agency would have been aware of the committee meeting and the internal files and would have nevertheless unilaterally approved the repeal of the control body. Thus, Cuerda adds, if others who are not part of the committee accessed the information contained in the files, “the rights of the plaintiffs would be violated.” And worse, no one will be able to investigate these internal complaints, some of which directly affect the ethical behavior of the anti-fraud director.
The Ethics Committee was created in March 2022 and was composed of four members, all appointed for a period of four years and whose termination could only take place for the reasons provided for in the regulations published in the Official Gazette of the Generalitat Valenciana, in no case were its members involved, who were, as outsiders, Cuerda herself, Manuel Villoria Mendieta (professor of political science and administration at the Rey Juan Carlos University), Antonio Penadés Chust (lawyer, historian and journalist) and the secretary, an official of the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency chosen by vote from among the staff of the entity.
Concerning the repealed Code of Ethics, the former president of the external committee which was to apply it, assured that “it included the values of good governance which must inform all the actions of the Agency and regulated impartiality, confidentiality and conduct which personnel must necessarily observe, particularly with regard to possible conflicts of interest. For its part, the Ethics Committee “ensured the proper application of the Code of Ethics, promoted its dissemination, reported doubts or questions regarding its interpretation, handled internal complaints, contributed to resolve controversies and made recommendations in the event of non-compliance with the said Code. “code”.
Serious conflicts of interest
And it is in this direction of possible conflicts of interest that some of the three complaints which would have been filed against Beut could go. And that’s no small thing, according to the professional CV of the current anti-fraud director. Beut was appointed by the PP in 2002 as advisor and vice president of the Business Holdings Portfolio, where investments in private companies of the two savings banks were put in order. This company, 50% owned by Bancaja and CAM, did not finish operating and was dissolved in 2005. A year after leaving the entity with the two savings banks, which were also dissolved due to poor management , in 2006, Beut was signed by the manufacturers. Fecoval association (Federation of Companies of the Valencian Community Construction Contractors of the Administration). He was first appointed director then general secretary until 2011, when he was named president. He held this position until 2012.
What will happen when Beut has to deal with complaints against management companies that are partners with Fecoval? What happens to the expert reports in the Azud case which will have to be ratified in court and which affect administrative service providers? Will the current director have to abstain? Since there is no Code of Ethics in force, could conflicts of interest be avoided?
