The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office has filed a lawsuit against the former directors of the migrant children's center of La Santa and Yaiza and against the managing company of both Fundación de Respuesta Social Siglo XXI for a presumed embezzlement of public money destined to attend to the children and adolescents who arrived by boat to the island.
According to the complaint that La Voz has had access to, funds destined for the care of minors who arrive alone on the island were used for purchases in a Lottery and betting establishment, cartons of tobacco, viagra, Nike sneakers, toy stores or purchases in restaurants. Due to the type of products obtained, Anticorruption considers "that they do not seem to match expenses typical of a children's center" nor fit into the weekly expenses derived from the management of the reception resource.
More than 500,000 euros extracted in cash
According to this document, the former director of the La Santa children's center received 545,014 euros in a bank account opened for the management of the reception resource and 310,932 euros in a second bank entity. According to the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office in the complaint, 53% of the income received in the first account and 70% of the second were directly extracted in cash.
Between 2019 and 2021, the former director of the resource withdrew 506,940.50 euros in cash in 352 extractions. In addition, he made at least seven transfers for an amount of 4,874.31 euros from the children's center account to his personal accounts, without Anticorruption being able to locate justified expenses that could be allocated to the children's center.
Likewise, Anticorruption reveals that, at least, 15,308 euros were deposited in cash in the personal account of the director of the center, the origin of which is unknown.
In addition, the former head of the La Santa center obtained 40,000 euros in cash through the Cashback method, a way to withdraw money from a bank account without having to resort to conventional ATMs but in businesses attached to this system.
"All of this with an unknown final destination," adds prosecutor Ródenas in the complaint that La Voz has had access to.
Alleged contracts to relatives
Other points highlighted by Anticorruption are the invoices issued by an individual, considered by the Prosecutor's Office as "the most notable supplier and where 35% of the center's expenses are made" of La Santa. This supplier issued an average of three invoices per week for a center with a reception capacity of 120 places. These charges were framed within cleaning, hygiene and food expenses.
The company that carried out these works "was run by the brother of the deputy director of the children's center" of La Santa. In two and a half years, it managed to invoice 199,801.93 euros. In addition, the fruit shop run by the director of the children's center of Puerto Rico (Gran Canaria) also received payments worth 9,355.85 euros from the La Santa center.
Also noteworthy is the expense in a well-known car rental company for an amount of 61,448.01 euros, considered by the Prosecutor's Office as "overwhelmingly excessive and incoherent", as well as the payments to an island fruit company for 32,954.9 euros.
In this sense, the Public Ministry highlights the "lack of concordance between the card payments detected in the accounts of the children's center and the notes of the accounting documentation provided by the Foundation."
One of the accounts used by the La Santa children's center "is fed solely and exclusively with public money, mostly through the Fundación de Respuesta Social Siglo XXI, which in turn has received it from the Cabildo de Lanzarote. Others come from accounts opened for the management of other centers, also from public funds.
The case of Yaiza
The former director of the emergency device for migrant children of Yaiza spent 43,154.42 euros on vehicle rental and fuel during the two and a half years in which she managed the center, with capacity for 15 people. This is denounced by the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office in the lawsuit against the former head of the center, the director of the resource for minors of La Santa and the managing company of both in Lanzarote Fundación Respuesta Social Siglo XXI.
"The Las Casitas Forestales children's center of Yaiza during the ten months of 2020, which is directed by this person, presents transportation expenses 50% higher than the entire year 2021", emphasizes the Public Ministry. This person maintained responsibility for the resource between May 2018 and October 2020.
The Anti-Corruption prosecutor Javier Ródenas considered that the justification of transportation expenses is "disproportionately high" with respect to the occupation of the center.
Between May 2019 and October 2020, the center allocated more than 15,000 euros to fuel, more than 11,000 euros to vehicle rentals and about 7,500 euros to bus vouchers and tickets. The remaining money, 9,540 euros, was invested in vehicle repair and maintenance expenses, taxi and parking.
Personal invoices
Anticorruption reflected that the then director of the center could deliver invoices for personal expenses in the name of the resource. The complaint includes purchases in jewelry stores, in Ikea or Mercadona, taxis in La Gomera or pizzerias in La Palma.
In the same line, it highlights an expense of 1,400 euros in the concept of "office expenses", but where prosecutor Ródenas "did not find an explanation, invoice, contract, receipt or delivery note."
In the justification of the payments, the Public Ministry detected duplicate invoices for different weeks for purchases in vehicle rental companies, in supermarkets and fruit shops. In up to twenty occasions, contracts without invoice or invoice, invoices without numbering or written by hand, without a contract to justify the same payments but for different periods were allegedly provided.
For this reason, the complaint filed by the Anti-Corruption prosecutor typifies these acts as a possible crime of falsehood in a commercial document, disloyal administration and embezzlement of public funds.