Staff Reporter
POLICE have seized 15 Andalucian fraudsters in Operation Edu – hailed as Spain’s ‘biggest ever fraud case’.
The scandal – which involved hundreds of professional training courses – saw Andalucian officials allegedly syphon off up to €2 billion worth of EU education funding.
Father-son team Pablo Andres Viedma Hurtado – president of the Axarquia Association of Training and Employment – and Eduardo Videma Hurtado, were two of those arrested.
Between them, the pair syphoned off €60,390 in 2010 – some of which was diverted into the Andalucian Centre of Training and Labour Orientation SL, a company founded by son Eduardo.
In other instances, fictitious students were signed up for courses.
Police have demanded that Luciano Alonso – the Councillor of Education, Culture and Sports – reveal information about the funds given to education companies, but Alonso allegedly refused.
“We’re not going to do any assessments,” he said.
The investigation, which will take place in Malaga, will be kept under wraps.
