Subsidies to the Fundación Garzón from EU funds

Question for written answer  E-001853/2021
to the Commission
Rule 138
Hermann Tertsch (ECR)

In 2018, the Commission awarded a subsidy of EUR 499 979.97 to the Fundación Internacional Baltasar Garzón (Baltasar Garzón International Foundation) for a project called ‘Widely Expanding Anonymous Tipping Technology Deployment, Operation and Trustworthiness to Combat Corruption in Eastern and Southern Europe’.

This Foundation is led by the controversial Spanish ex-judge Baltasar Garzón, who was suspended from the bench on 22 February 2012 after Spain’s Supreme Court found him guilty of prevarication. The former judge has been involved in financial activities with former President of Argentina Cristina Fernández and key members of the Venezuelan dictatorship, including Alex Saab, a front man for the dictator Maduro. He has also been at the centre of other controversies, including ongoing links to former Police Commissioner José Manuel Villarejo, who is awaiting trial for criminal association, bribery and money laundering.

• 1.What checks has the Commission requested or carried out and what accounts have been provided by the Foundation in relation to the EU funds it has received?
• 2.What specific work has been carried out under the project in question?
• 3.What other projects of the Foundation have received EU funding since 2011, when it was set up?