Former Valencian conservation institute directors sentenced for fraud and prevarication

The Prosecutor’s Office demands sentences of five years in prison, nine of absolute disqualification and another nine of disqualification for public office for the former managing director of the Valencian conservation institute (formerly Ivacor), Carmen Perezand the former Head of Graphic Works, Gemma Contreras, for un fraud and prevarication in the restoration of old books.

In its indictment, the Prosecutor’s Office assures that the books entered, were budgeted for, and were restored at Ivacor, with their own tools and means and by two restorers from the Institute, but the fbilling was made to a private company constituted at the request of the processed to avoid administrative procedures.

This has been revealed in the first session of the trial, which began this Tuesday in the Second Section of the Provincial Court of Valencia.

[Estos son los nuevos fraudes informáticos y telefónicos con más trampas en la provincia de Alicante]

In its provisional conclusions, the Provincial Prosecutor of Valencia reports that, between 2011 and 2013, an economist and auditor requested the restoration of twelve old books from his private collection “with considerable value” at Ivacor, when Carmen Pérez was its managing director and Gemma María Contreras was the head of Graphic Works and Materials.

The restoration of the books was carried out by lots, and budgets, up to 3,500 euros per bookwere prepared by the Head of Graphic Works and signed by her and by Pérez.

The Prosecutor’s Office asserts in its indictment that both defendants “evaded the administrative procedure provided for in the Public Sector Contracts Law” to favor the contractor: they did not quantify the joint restoration of all the works to avoid the bidding if it exceeded 18,000 euros and they also evaded the procedure of minor contracts, which consists of direct award, approval of the expense and invoice.

All this, they have added, in order for the restoration to be carried out by two professionals who were convinced to set up a company, Dicarta SC, to which they invoiced the work, if they wanted to continue working at the institute.

Furthermore, although Ivacor signed in 2012 a minor administrative contract for the restoration of works of art, works with ancient books were not included in that document.

According to the Public Ministry, “the restoration work on the books was carried out by both restorers at the Ivacor headquarters, with the tools and subject to the custody of the public institute, they were invoiced and collected by Dicarta or by the restorers privately, but no type of legal coverage”.

Therefore, they understand that the defendants caused economic damage of 12,630 euros to the organizationand they consider that the facts constitute a continuous crime of administrative prevarication and a continuous crime of fraud against the public administration.

For Carmen Pérez, therefore, as the material author of the facts, they demand five years in prison and nine years of absolute disqualificationin addition to another nine of special disqualification for employment or public office.

For their head of Graphic Works, as author and necessary cooperator, they claim the same penalty, and demand joint and several compensation from both 12,630 euros to the Valencian Institute of Culture or the Ministry of Culture.

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