Aitana Mas affirmed yesterday that the department that she directs has “never” delivered records of inspections of residences for minors or adults to the Ombudsman. The Valencian Vice President and Minister of Equality said it in response to the accusations launched this week by Ángel Luna, who stated that in the time of Mónica Oltra it was done.
The councilor assured that her department “has not denied” the Ombudsman access to these minutes, but that they cannot send a copy and what they do is facilitate, like the regional deputies, physical access to them at any venue of the Council And he questioned that the Síndic de Greuges considers that “he has a better right than a deputy who is the highest representative of the Valencian people in Parliament, to have access to a copy of those acts, on which he has been offered to consult them in the city of Alicante, where it is based”.
Aitana Mas reiterated that copies of this type of minutes “never” have been given, not even when Mónica Oltra was councilor, while on Ángel Luna’s statement that with the change of owner it has not gone “for the better” for this matter of the acts, he opined that “it is ugly” that the Ombudsman gives a personal opinion and not “institutional”.
He also pointed out that he does not share the “alarmist tone” of the Ombudsman, Ángel Luna, who in his latest report described the Administration as “hostile territory” for citizens, and indicated that he would like to see this type of discourse moderated.
In this regard, sources from the Sindicatura de Greuges told EFE that in the past they have been given copies of the inspection reports from the Department of Equality, as can be seen for example in the institution’s 2021 report, and specifically in the ex officio complaint about the residence of Altabix.
The same sources have highlighted that article 37 of the Law of the Ombudsman establishes that all the subjects whose activity they investigate must provide access to the files and documentation, “delivering even a copy” if so required to clarify the facts, ” with the only limitations established by law”.
In the opinion of Aitana Mas, the Ombudsman should take into account the evolution of the institutions, since in the case of the Ministry that he directs, there have been 14,096 complaints in 2016 to the current 1,062, a decrease of 13,000 complaints that shows ” collaboration and a job well done” and makes it difficult to “talk about hostility” in this case.
The vice president stated that they are “positively open” to all the recommendations formulated by the equivalent of the Valencian Ombudsman and that her Ministry is the third most collaborating with this institution, of which they take into account “more than 90% “of the questions he asks them.
