CNIO: The largest most cancers middle faces layoffs as a result of lack of a supervisor | Science | EUROtoday

The Government reassures the scientists of the most important most cancers analysis middle, which can be paralyzed if a scenario of utmost urgency is just not resolved: the absence of a supervisor and nobody else with the ability to approve contracts, provides and some other exercise to maintain the group functioning.

“We are fully aware of the situation that the center is going through and the impact that recent events may have had on both its operation and its reputation,” explains a single-page letter signed by Eva Ortega Paíno, Secretary General of Research of the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, addressed to the scientists of the National Cancer Research Center (CNIO), to which this newspaper has had entry. “The Board of Trustees [máximo órgano de Gobierno] “is working with the highest priority to adopt the necessary measures to guarantee institutional stability, operational continuity and the proper functioning of the CNIO management,” the letter highlights.

Ortega Paíno, president of the Board of Trustees, assures that the organization has taken note “both in relation to the urgent coverage of the signing and management functions and the need to strengthen the administrative and management structure of the center.” “The Board of Trustees fully shares your conviction that the true value of the CNIO lies in the scientific excellence of its researchers and in the commitment of all the people who work at the institution. Our objective is to contribute so that, as soon as possible, the focus is once again placed on the top-level science that the CNIO represents,” provides the letter, dated this Monday.

This is all that has emerged for now from the Board of Trustees assembly scheduled for right now, and during which it was anticipated to offer an answer to the upcoming paralysis triggered by the resignation of the managing director, José Manuel Bernabé. Bernabé, a senior state official, had submitted his resignation on February 2 after a former colleague accused him of harassment, though the investigation was inconclusive.

Last week, the previous supervisor revealed solely to EL PAÍS new particulars in regards to the alleged corrupt plot that operated within the middle for years and that, in keeping with his calculations, was in a position to steal as much as 30 million euros of public cash.

The lack of Bernabé, who was the one one with the capability to signal any contract, provide or operation, leaves the middle in paralysis till another person with signing energy is enabled. In his revelations to this newspaper, Bernabé complained exactly that throughout the months during which he was uncovering irregularities he labored “alone”, and was monitored by the collaborators of the alleged ringleader of the plot, former supervisor Juan Arroyo.

“We request an urgent solution to have a person with legal power of signature,” demanded greater than 380 scientists and staff of the middle – 80% of the employees and 90% of the bosses – in a letter despatched on Sunday to the Board of Trustees to which this newspaper has had entry. It is the second letter of assist despatched by the college after the one revealed final week, additionally with very broad assist, in protection of Barnabas and denouncing a smear marketing campaign towards him.

The scientists present their assist for the work of the previous head of the CNIO and ask that the plan he had drawn as much as clear up the middle be continued. “We want to emphasize the importance of implementing the Action Plan proposed by the previous manager, José Manuel Bernabé, in regards to the need for a major restructuring of our entire management and administration system. It is also necessary to continue delving into the exhaustive analysis of the center’s management practices,” the letter states.

This similar Monday, the contracts of 9 administrative employees expire. These staff have been subcontracted by the corporate Gedosol, a type of allegedly concerned within the CNIO corrupt plot. “This group, although subcontracted, is staff with many years of experience at the center and who performs essential work on a daily basis,” level out the scientists, who additionally warn of the same scenario confronted by IT, upkeep and instrumentation personnel, in addition to SAP system technicians, amongst others.

“We consider that simply hiring a new, independent manager position will be insufficient if this recruitment is not associated with the possibility of hiring a trusted management team with which to redirect this situation,” the researchers add.

The CSIF union has reported that the 9 individuals whose dismissal is imminent have been on the middle for between 10 and 20 years. The union believes that there was an unlawful switch of employees and is finding out authorized measures. He has additionally contacted the Secretary of State for Science and Innovation, Juan Cruz, and the Secretary General of Research, and president of the Board of Trustees, Eva Ortega Paíno, “to request information and ask for explanations.” Union sources report that within the close to future the contracts of three staff subcontracted by Zeus, one other of the businesses allegedly concerned within the plot, and 6 different IT employees with Gedosol contracts can even expire.

The former CNIO supervisor has reported all of the alleged illegalities to the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, which is investigating the case. Among them can be the manipulation of upkeep contracts by the corporate Eiffage Energía, a subsidiary of a French multinational, during which Javier de Dios, present head of Technical Management on the CNIO, and collaborator of Arroyo, would even be concerned. The ringleader of the plot even had a “butler” employed with cash from the CNIO who went to Arroyo’s home each week, in an opulent urbanization on the outskirts of Madrid, to hold out home work, corresponding to small works or cleansing the backyard, in keeping with the investigations that Bernabé revealed to this newspaper. In addition, this operator frequently introduced a canister of diesel to Arroyo’s dwelling, additionally paid for with public funds from the CNIO.

These alleged illegalities are added to these reported by a former high-ranking CNIO official to the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office, and which motivated the start of the investigations by the general public ministry, on November 26, 2025.

That date is vital. A day earlier than, after already having a transparent concept of ​​the alleged illegalities dedicated on the CNIO by Arroyo and his collaborators, Bernabé requested the board to fireside Arroyo and two individuals very near him: the deputy to administration José Ignacio Fernández Vera, and the overall secretary Laura Muñoz. The first was for years an in depth collaborator of Arroyo and managed, amongst different issues, the donations of flats and inheritances to the CNIO that residents made of their wills to assist most cancers analysis. The second, Muñoz, had been employed in April by the CNIO, with an exorbitant wage for her place of 80,000 euros per 12 months. Until that second, since 2013, she had been a secretary on the CNIO subcontracted by Gedosol, one of many corporations concerned within the alleged corrupt plot. The Board of Trustees unanimously accredited the three dismissals.

A day later, Muñoz recordsdata a harassment grievance towards José Manuel Bernabé with CNIO human sources. He claims that Barnabas had despatched him private images and movies of him exercising, and feedback in regards to the variety of relationships he had had within the final 12 months. An exterior committee analyzed the case, however was by no means in a position to show whether or not there was harassment or not, as a result of Muñoz by no means appeared. However, the publication of the grievance by Abc It led the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, led by Diana Morant, to take away confidence from Bernabé, since he acknowledged having despatched these messages.

The former supervisor denies that he harassed Muñoz and believes that the grievance is a entice to make him fall. Indeed, final week, the CNIO board acknowledged receipt of his resignation as supervisor. In actuality, Barnabas, with weakened well being after these months of laborious work in a hostile atmosphere and surrounded by supposed enemies, had already requested to go away the CNIO on February 2.