The European Union Anti-Fraud Office (Olaf) has temporarily paralyzed the Civil Guard mission in the Sahel. Its resumption depends on the results of the investigation carried out by Brussels within the framework of the Mediator case. For the moment, Europe continues to analyze the use of European funds in the alleged corruption scheme that keeps twelve people under investigation.
The newspaper La Provincia announced this Monday that, within the framework of said investigation and as a preventive measure, the European Commission has decided to freeze the renewal of the cooperation program in the Sahel dedicated to creating Rapid Action Surveillance and Intervention groups (GAR-SI, for its acronym in French).
At the same time, the European Anti-Fraud Office is analyzing the information from the International and Ibero-American Foundation for Administration and Public Policies (Fiiapp), directed by the Vice President of the Government and Minister of Economy, Nadia Calviño. In addition, Brussels has requested information on the case from the Investigating Court number four of Tenerife, which is investigating the Mediator case.
Linked to the mission of the Civil Guard in the Sahel was the general of the Armed Institute Francisco Espinosa Navas, now retired, who until January 11, 2021 was director of the GAR-SI project in the Sahel. Espinosa Navas is the only detainee of the twelve investigated in the framework of the Mediator case, accused of an alleged crime of corruption.
Navas Espinosa's time in Las Palmas
Before being director of the African project, the former general of the Civil Guard was head of the Command of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, between 2008 and 2012. According to the summary of the Mediator case, at that time he was investigated by the Internal Affairs Service of the Civil Guard (SAI), within the framework of the Preliminary Proceedings of a case carried out by the Investigating Court number five of Arrecife.
At that time, the alleged commission of a crime of "disclosure of secrets or obstruction of justice committed within the framework of another judicial procedure" was investigated. These actions were provisionally dismissed in May 2012.
You can read the full information in La Provincia.
