Generalitat Valencia officials arrested

 

Police in Valencia arrested have made a number of arrests of regional government officials for helping themselves to money destined for overseas in charitable aid.

Among those charged with theft, fraud and conspiracy are the director of the regional government's overseas aid office, Josep Mará Felip; Marcial López, president of the Cyes Foundation; Arturo Tauroni Masia, director of the Hemispheric Foundation; his brother César Agusto Tauroni Masia; and Marc Llinares Pico, a computer analyst.

The deputy secretary of Valencia's health department, Alexandre Catalá, was immediately fired following the arrests.

The Valencian President, Alberto Fabra, called the investigation, which had been secret until Thursday's arrests, "a serious one" because "we are talking about money that was allotted for humanitarian purposes." He fired Felip and Catalá a few hours after the arrests were made.

Felip was the deputy to the international aid office, headed by Rafael Blasco. Fabra spoke with Blasco, who continues to enjoy the trust of the regional premier. But at least two complaints have been filed against Blasco for allegedly creating a ghost company that diverted regional government money that was destined to the developing world.

Blasco commented that "We don't know if this is all a mistake," and that the arrests "don't mean anything." He also told the press that "All the money allotted for international aid is there, and the files are in perfect order."