Agencias antifraude ¿eficaces?: la oficina balear y valenciana a estudio

María Cristina Fernández González

doi:10.51915/ret.450

Authors

María Cristina Fernández González Universidad de Salamanca. España

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51915/ret.450

Keywords:

anti-corruption agencies, whistleblowing, effectiveness, public integrity, corruption

Abstract

This article examines the actual effectiveness of regional anti-corruption agencies in Spain through a comparative analysis of two paradigmatic cases: the Valencian Anti-Fraud Agency (AVAF) and the now-defunct Office for the Prevention and Fight against Corruption of the Balearic Islands (OIAB). Using a qualitative methodology based on the systematic review of their institutional reports from 2020 to 2024, three key indicators—complaints received, investigations initiated, and investigations concluded—are reconstructed to identify performance patterns, year-to-year variations, and potential signs of institutional fragility. The analysis contrasts with international standards on independence and with extensive specialized literature. The results reveal divergent trajectories: while the OIAB appears to maintain a high investigative resolution capacity until its closure, AVAF shows a steady increase in complaints alongside a decline in investigative activity. These findings allow us to draw broader conclusions suggesting that the effectiveness of such agencies does not depend solely on their legal design, but also on exogenous factors.

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