Rumors about possible irregularities in the management of the Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute (IJC) at the stage in which the renowned epidemiologist Manel Esteller was in charge sounded loudly months ago, although the Foundation silenced them. Esteller resigned from his position in September 2024 but the circumstances were not clarified. Now, it transpires that the Josep Carreras Foundation had commissioned an external audit to determine possible anomalies in the center’s management.
Spokespersons for the institution have acknowledged to this newspaper that they commissioned the investigation to confirm that there was no malpractice at this stage but they deny that it was due to irregularities in financial management. “We want to emphasize that there has never been any irregularity in the financial management of the Institute,” they clarify. They assure that the object of the investigation is “to determine if there has been a internal redistribution of resources to prioritize one line of research over others.”
According to the aforementioned spokespersons, “the audit is still in the preliminary phase and, therefore, it is necessary to wait for the final report.”
According to the newspaper ‘Ara’, the decision to commission an audit was made after being alerted of alleged anomalies in the use of the financing that the Foundation transferred to the Institute, something that could be putting at risk both the search for excellence and the viability of the Institute itself. “We have decided to verify these claims,” the manager of the Foundation stated in statements to the Catalan newspaper, Anthony Garcia.
The results of this external evaluation, commissioned KPMG Advocatscould be presented, as the Foundation has admitted to ABC, at the board meeting that will be held today afternoon. “This afternoon there is a meeting of the Board of Trustees but we do not know if the preliminary report will be presented and we do not know if it will be conclusive,” the IJC stated. The meeting is expected to be attended by the Minister of Health, Olga Paneand that of Universities and Research, Núria Montserrat, as vice presidents of this governing body of the Institute. Sources close to the Generalitat have told ‘Ara’ that, depending on what the audit reveals, they do not rule out taking legal measures.
The origin of this audit is, according to sources close to the institution, the complaints from some researchers of the Institute who have reported potential irregularities that would have to do with the use of money from both donations and competitive projects to favor certain lines of research. The complainants point out that these events began to occur five years ago, when Esteller directed the institution, and that the resources could have been used to prioritize their investigations. Esteller denies all these “insinuations” and “accusations” and, in statements to the Catalan newspaper, speaks of a “personal vendetta that benefits no one.
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