The scientific director of the National Cancer Research Center (CNIO), María Blasco, has ruled out resigning after the latest controversies over her management at the head of the public organization and has blamed the managing director, Juan Arroyo, for all possible irregularities that are attributed to the CNIO, such as activities outside the original purpose of the largest cancer center in Spain or the anomalies detected in its contract.
In a press conference called to clarify the information about her management at the head of the center, which she described as “hoaxes”, “lies” and a “discredit campaign”, the scientific director of the CNIO attributed this “bicephaly” (two directors, one scientist and the other manager) all possible irregularities that may have occurred. For this reason, he has announced that he will file a complaint with the Prosecutor’s Office due to the “serious consequences” that, in his opinion, the organization chart of the public entity causes.
Along the same lines, and pointing directly to the managing director, he has denied that they are his hiring skillsbut of Arroyo, and has assured that he is preparing a specific report that he will send to the Ministry of Science, including that the managing director “has not clarified at any time” to the media that the irregularities attributed to him “are not” , he has reiterated, of his competence.
«I want to announce that in my report to the Board of Trustees I have asked that the origin of this campaign of discredit towards the CNIO and towards me be investigated, charging me with responsibilities that are not mine, but that of the manager, as well as an audit of my Ombudsman. work and the work of the manager,” said Blasco, who has also requested a meeting with the minister of the sector, Diana Morant.
In his speech, Blasco showed his “concern” about the managing director’s management because it also damages his image as the “visible face” of the CNIO. As explained, on two occasions the Ministry promised a change of manager “that never materialized”. “In recent years, my concern about the manager’s management has been increasing due to a lawsuit for prevarication, influence peddling, fraud and embezzlement against him and two members of his team,” he stated.
“I don’t want to accuse anyone, but I want to make it clear that I do not have the contracting management skills,” the director of the CNIO stressed before the media. Thus, Blasco has urged the managing director to “come to light” and the relevant explanations as a “person with economic skills”, while insisting on the “discredit campaign” and “harassment” that in his opinion he is suffering, although he has not managed to clarify its origin.
Nor has she clarified, when asked by the media, some of the irregularities that are attributed to the center and has limited herself to detailing her functions as scientific director; that is, “without signature power.” He has not explained, for example, what happened to the ‘bonuses’ which he collected irregularly for three years (90,000 euros more, according to the information that appears in the Annual Accounts Audit that the General Intervention of the State Administration (IGAE) carried out on the public body in 2019). “My contract is legal, approved by the Board of Trustees,” he concluded.
About CNIO Arte, an initiative with which the research center spent 877,787 euros in the purchase of works of art and in the hiring of at least two people, the scientific director of the CNIO, who created and developed the project, has indicated that it is a program “common to many research centers” and that, in In any case, the contribution for the creation of the art pieces is finalist and is not used for other initiatives or expenses. According to ABC, within the framework of this project, 20,000 euros were also allocated to travel the works on multiple trips around the world, to destinations such as Washington, New York, Chicago, Mozambique and the Arctic.
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