We are looking for a professional with more than ten years of experience and “absolute commitment to independence”, which must be provided in a sworn statement
The resigns from his position in the European Public Prosecutor’s Office by the former judge of the National Court Pablo Ruzwho became popular as responsible for the investigation of the Gürtel case, forces the Government to return to search for new candidates for the supranational body dedicated to pursuing frauds with European funds. The last replacement occurred last July, when the until then number two in the Anti-Drug Prosecutor’s Office, Ignatius of Luke, replaced the Anticorruption prosecutor Concepción Sabadell at the head of the office of the European organization representing Spain.
Ruz has been in his destination court in Móstoles (Madrid) since last summer, after a few years in the European organization that It began its journey in June 2021but his vacancy has not yet been filled.
Staff of seven prosecutors
“It was time to reveal to others,” Ruz has pointed out to THE NEWSPAPER OF SPAIN about his departure from the institution almost a year ago. At the moment, Spain has seven prosecutors in the European body, but The forecast is to increase this workforce “because they can’t cope,” recalls the judge.
On October 3, the Official State Gazette published the order that opens the selection process for the position, called the European delegated prosecutor. Among the requirements for candidates, they must have Spanish nationality and not have incurred any of the causes of incapacity, such as having ever been convicted of an intentional crime.
Both judges and prosecutors with more than ten years of seniority and who offer “an absolute commitment to independence for the exercise of the function” can apply. To this end, the order contemplates a model sworn declaration, which must be presented along with the application, in addition to having knowledge and practical experience in the field of financial investigations and master the “working language” of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, which is English.
Once the candidates present themselves, Justice will summon them before a selection commission that will examine their resumes and invite them to an interview in a public hearing. Among them the new European prosecutor will be chosen according to a merit selection and that it will take into account “the principles of equal treatment and non-discrimination of people with disabilities and their rights,” concludes the Justice order.
Deep issues
Only during its first year of operation, the Spanish delegation of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office investigated at least 15 alleged frauds with EU funds, a number that has subsequently increased.
Among the issues that have fallen on the office, the investigation of the contract of 1.5 million in masks from which he benefited by 283,000 brother of the president of the Community of Madrid, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, who was given shelved last March as there were no signs of fraud. The investigation into the businessman and former leader of Democratic Convergence (CDC) David Madí about an alleged influence in the distribution of European funds for the reactivation of the Spanish economy after the covid-19 pandemic and allegedly diverting them fraudulently. Likewise, files have been opened for a European drift of the Mediator case and for alleged fraud committed by agricultural organizations or against a organized group suspected of VAT fraud based in Spain and with branches in Belgium, Bulgaria and Slovakia, among others.
The novelty of the institution has been evident with some friction with the national Prosecutor’s Offices. Last June, the Supreme Court had to settle a matter that the body was disputing with a court in Getafe for the possible irregular use of more than 100,000 euros in European aid, although the most notorious was the run-in with anti-corruption precisely because of the file of the brother of the president of the Community of Madrid.