The deputy spokesperson for Compromís, Isaura Navarro, addressed the Cortes today to condemn the dismissals carried out by the director of the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency, Eduardo Beut, involving the agency’s second and third in command. She argued that these removals reveal the kind of leadership the PP and Vox have installed at the helm of the agency, mirroring their own image and interests. Navarro stressed that what is unfolding is a targeted campaign against the individuals who investigated the most blatant corruption cases tied to the Popular Party. She reminded listeners that the Anti-Corruption Agency exists to cleanse corruption from public life, not to shield it, and she warned that current actions appear designed to corner those who performed well in exposing the very corruption identified in the Valencian Community under the PP. Navarro’s words frame the situation as a political vendetta aimed at discrediting professionals who played a key role in upholding integrity within the institution, rather than enabling a fight against wrongdoing. (citation)
As reported by local outlets, the head of Anti-Fraud, Eduardo Beut, opted to remove the agency’s deputy director Teresa Clemente and the head of investigations, Gustavo Segura, who was a rival in the contest to lead Anti-Fraud. The stated reason was that they allegedly did not perform their duties, particularly in relation to the expert reports requested by the Anticorruption Prosecutor, reports that the agency would typically share with other major audit and tax authorities when necessary. Navarro called these moves a setback for transparency and accountability, arguing that the decisions undermine the agency’s mission to combat corruption and instead undermine the oversight structures meant to prevent it. (citation)
In response, Navarro described the sequence as a profound embarrassment for the governing majority of PP-Vox. She asserted that, if dignity still existed in the Cortes, those responsible for the upheaval would be dismissed. She accused the leadership of placing a friend of Zaplana in a position of influence and suggested that those behind the appointment acted in alignment with Zaplanist interests rather than the public good. Navarro concluded that the initial actions taken by the leadership betrayed their stated goals and did not reflect an attempt to safeguard the public’s interests or tackle the corruption cases that prompted the agency’s creation. (citation)