In 2022, the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency detected and blocked 19,000 cybersecurity attacks, three times more than in 2021. Yesterday, the 2023 activities report presented in the Corts Valencianes revealed that hacks have decreased by 30%, but the figure still remains remains high: there were 13,000 hacking attempts in the last year.
Likewise, the Valencian entity to combat fraud and corruption received 556 complaints last year, 22.73% more than the previous year. And thanks to its investigations, which led to 16% of the complaints filed, the Agency recovered 5.1 million euros. The majority of the complaints are related to the local administration (56%) and 40% of the complaints are related to human resources, especially due to selective processes.
In its report, the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency detected unjustified commercial margins of around 30% in a company that supplied medical supplies by emergency procedure to the Ministry of Health during the pandemic and that had no preparation or authorization to be able to contract with the Administration.
This investigation corresponds to one of the two files that the Agency opened ex officio on purchases by the Consell at the time of the coronavirus pandemic and that concluded in 2023, while the other, which investigates other companies, will end shortly. , as announced by its director, Joan Llinares. The Agency itself points out that the facts analyzed do not allow us to affirm that they are likely to constitute fraud or corruption, but it does consider that there have been “deficits in the adequate compliance” of the administrative legal system.
The balance of the year also reflects that a total of 128 people have received legal advice and six new Whistleblower Protection Statutes have been granted, and in total there are 35 protected people, one of them being a legal entity. Of this total, 68% of the people protected by the Agency are men, 28% women and 2% legal entities.
The president of the Agency, Joan Llinares, presented the two volumes of the Report to the president of les Corts, Llanos Massó. The ombudsmen of all the parliamentary groups and the members of the Mesa de les Corts were also present at the event. Nor did Llinares ignore, already in the press conference, his assessment of the proposal to modify the institution, defending that the ideal majority to elect director of the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency is the qualified three-fifths of Les Corts instead of the absolute majority, which establishes the legislative proposal of the PP.
