The European Public Prosecutor's Office is investigating the embezzlement of part of the Next Generation funds received by the BSC.

MadridThe European Public Prosecutor's Office is investigating alleged misappropriation of EU funds (Next Generation) that the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC) has received to finance MareNostrum-Ona, the first quantum computer in Spain. The launch of this tool is part of an initiative of the Spanish government's Ministry for Digital Transformation and Civil Service.

According to the report, The Confidential And sources from the BSC have confirmed to ARA that the European Union (EPPO) has an open investigation into the use of the European Union's Next Generation funds that financed the project. Specifically, sources from the BSC confirm that they have received notification of a tender document related to the quantum computer and also insist that the Barcelona research center has followed all the procedures established by the sector's contract law.

The investigation was initiated following a complaint about alleged irregularities, and now officers from the Economic and Tax Crime Unit (UDEF) of the National Police are gathering information on the use of €8.1 million of these funds for the Next Generation fund that should have been allocated. In fact, the center also confirms that, within the framework of this procedure, the National Police visited the BSC headquarters on Wednesday to request various documents and that those responsible provided everything requested. Sources from the National Court confirmed to ARA that Court Judge María Tardón was appointed as the judge of guarantees in this case.

The quantum computer was presented in February of this year by Minister Óscar López and the president of the BSC, Mateo Valero. López emphasized that it can be used in the fields of health, cybersecurity, logistics, communications, and finance.

The Spanish government requests information

From the Spanish government, sources from the Ministries of Digital Transformation and Public Service and Science, Innovation and Universities explain that the president of the BSC governing council and Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Universities, Juan Cruz Cigudosa, requested by letter this Friday morning from the BSC director "information regarding the contract." Once this documentation is available, they say, an extraordinary governing council will be convened.

The same sources maintain that the Quantum Spain project—which includes the MareNostrum-Ona project—is funded with €22 million from the Spanish government's Recovery Plan. They insist that this "quantum computer is now a reality at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center," which was entrusted with its development, and maintain that, in order to develop it, the State Secretariat for Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence "previously verified that the conditions required by the regulations for authorizing subcontracting for its execution were met."

Sources at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center maintain that the BSC "complies with the law on public sector contracts and is permanently subject to the control of the competent supervisory bodies." They also detail that, "following the usual procedures in these cases," the Barcelona research center has provided "the required information" and "acts with complete transparency and actively with the competent bodies."

On the other hand, the European Commission simply insists that it "does not comment on ongoing investigations." However, they insist that "the Commission has zero tolerance for fraud regarding the EU budget" and warn that they "expect the same level of commitment from Member States and beneficiaries of the funds." In this regard, they recall that "the first line of defense to prevent fraud and protect the integrity of the RRF [the instrument that manages the Next Generation funds in the EU] are the national control systems of the Member States."

Finally, they also detail that it is the Member States who are responsible for "collecting data on the final recipients of the funds, contractors, subcontractors, and beneficial owners and making it available upon request," just as it is the relevant national judicial and anti-fraud authorities who must intervene. RRF funds."