The Social Security has commissioned an audit from Deloitte after discovering irregularities in partial disability benefits and improper amounts. The audit has been sent to the prosecutor’s office, which has detected signs of crime and has transferred the case to the Batllia, a judicial office specialized in matters affecting the Public Service.
The Batllia has established the secrecy of the summary of the actions for three months, the maximum allowed in previous proceedings. The battalion in charge of the case has started the first actions and agents of the economic crimes unit of the police, with the support of officials of technological crimes, have analyzed the documentation at the headquarters of the Social Security.
The Batllia is investigating an alleged disloyal administration of public assets, which is classified as a crime in the Penal Code. In addition, summary secrecy has been established for three months to ensure peace of mind in investigations. During this period, the survey commission of the General Council will be stopped.
Despite the fact that the judicial investigation and the parliamentary investigation are not totally incompatible, article 49 c) of the Regulation of the General Council hinders the continuity of the work of the commission of inquiry. According to this article, the commission can demand the presence of any citizen, but it cannot do so when the people are subject to a jurisdictional procedure directly related to the matter under investigation or when it concerns people deprived of their freedom. This implies that the work of the survey commission will have to be stopped, since some of those summoned to testify will be prosecuted.
The CASS has informed by letter the people in charge of the parliamentary commission that there is already a judicial investigation underway to find out if there has been criminal behavior in the Social Security. The economic hole for the last three years would be approximately 1 million euros, and if all the money overpaid since 1971 were taken into account, the amount would exceed 8.5 million euros.