Secretary-General for Science and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Society National Center for Cancer Research (CNIO).), which reports directly to the Minister of Science, Innovation and Universities, Diana Morant, decided to hide the internal violations that were occurring at the institution, by … It could constitute a series of offenses for board members who meet again Tuesday.
Two letters from workers to Eva Ortega Painodated 18 and 26 August, and which the ABC was able to access, once again placed the management of complaints about alleged recruitment irregularities within the CNIO at the center of the debate. This newspaper revealed on Monday that the foreign minister, second in command to Morant, had also ignored his communications about alleged fraudulent purchases made at the centre.
In the first two letters addressed to Secretary General for ScienceThe workers presented a tension scenario, considering that the disciplinary files that were opened against two of the center’s directors in mid-August constitute an act of retaliation prohibited by law.
In the documents, the signatories emphasize that the actions taken against the above-mentioned executives are not simple administrative actions, but rather a direct reaction to formal complaints about possible serious irregularities in the employment of the CNIO. Complaints are covered Under Law No. 2/2023 on the Protection of Whistleblowers, which guarantees confidentiality and explicitly prohibits any type of retaliation against those who report legal violations in the workplace or institutional environment.
Whistleblowers claim to have documented more than two dozen advance warnings about wrongdoing discovered at the CNIO. All information has been collected For several weeks by several workers It is already in the hands of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, which is analyzing it in detail while awaiting a decision on new measures.
As stated in the letter, warnings about accounting discrepancies between purchases and services contracted and those received were sent to the Ministry of Science last March, and then submitted to justice in June with an officially registered file. In their view, the subsequent opening of disciplinary files “would not be a mere coincidence but a direct and inappropriate response” to their actions as whistleblowers, which would mean a breach of existing protection systems.
responsible
One of the central points of writing is responsibility CNIO Board of Trustees. Although they recognize that this body is not responsible for the direct management of disciplinary files, employees stress that it has a legal obligation to ensure that illegal acts do not occur in the organization, including retaliation against whistleblowers. The letter even details the potential legal consequences if the situation leads to a controversial operation.
For the CNIO, they explained that the consequences could include cancellation of dismissals or penalties, the reinstatement of those affected to their jobs, the return of salaries that have not been received, and fines that, in their assessment, could reach figures close to one million euros. Added to this Individual responsibility Which board members could face if a lack of oversight or reaction to potentially illegal actions is identified, which could translate into financial penalties or claims for damages.
In one letter they explicitly asked the Foundation’s Board of Directors, Which will meet again on Tuesday at a turbulent time for the CNIOintervening to stop possible legal consequences and protect the institutional reputation of the Centre, especially at a key time characterized by a change in the management of the organization following the dismissal of former persons responsible for the aforementioned violations who have already been prosecuted.