Neda launches internal whistleblowing channel and appoints its manager

The Neda City Council now has a fully operational Internal Information System (whistleblowing channel), following the full publication of the final approval agreement in the Official Gazette of the Province of A Coruña no. 193, dated October 9, 2026. The announcement, referenced as 2026/6443 and processed under File 2026/X008/000001, includes the designation of the natural person responsible for the management of the system. The measure complies with Law 2/2023, of February 20, regulating the protection of persons who report regulatory infringements and the fight against corruption.

From initial approval to final publication

The Plenary of the Neda City Council, in its ordinary session on August 3, 2026, agreed to the initial approval of the system, along with the Internal Information System Policy and protection guarantees for whistleblowers and the Management and Investigation Procedure (whistleblowing channel). That initial agreement was published in the Official Gazette of the Province no. 150, dated August 11, 2026.

Once the public exhibition period ended without any allegations or suggestions being presented, the agreement was considered final in accordance with article 49.c) of Law 7/1985, of April 2, regulating the bases of the local regime, and was published in full in compliance with article 70.2 of the same regulation. The text is signed by the mayor, Ángel Alvariño Saavedra, in Neda, on October 2, 2026.

Three entry routes and anonymous reports

The channel accepts written communications through an electronic system, by postal mail, and via face-to-face meetings, and allows for the submission of anonymous reports, with mechanisms to maintain interaction with the whistleblower through an alphanumeric code. The management of the electronic platform will be carried out by an external third party, the firm UNIVE ABOGADOS, acting as the data processor.

The compliance body individually designates an Internal System Manager, the sole person responsible for the processing and management of reports, who acts with independence and autonomy and cannot receive instructions. The designation will be notified to the Independent Whistleblower Protection Authority, A.A.I. and the Galician Whistleblower Protection Authority (AGPI) within ten business days.

Deadlines, rights, and protection against retaliation

The procedure establishes a framework of essential deadlines:

• Acknowledgment of receipt to the informant: 7 calendar days from receipt.
• Admission process (preliminary analysis): 10 business days from registration.
• Communication of admission or inadmission: 5 business days from the decision.
• In-person meeting, if requested: 7 business days from the request.
• Investigation: maximum of 3 months, extendable by another 3 in cases of special complexity.
• Data retention without start of investigation: 3 months, with subsequent deletion or anonymization.
• Maximum data retention: 10 years.

Informants have the right to confidentiality and anonymity, to know the status of their report, to free legal assistance under Law 1/1996, and protection against retaliation. Acts of retaliation are null and void by law. The reported persons maintain the presumption of innocence, the right to defense, and access to the file without revealing the identity of the informant.

Scope of application and dissemination

The channel may be used by public employees and other members of the municipal organizational chart, personnel from contractors, subcontractors, and providers, those who have ended their employment relationship, volunteers, scholarship holders, and people in training, as well as those who obtained the information during a selection process.

The objective scope includes infringements of European Union Law and serious or very serious criminal or administrative offenses; minor conducts are only admitted as notification. The Neda City Council will publicize the system on the municipal intranet, the website, and the transparency portal, and will develop training programs for staff.

The implementation of the channel provides the municipality with a stable early warning mechanism against corruption and administrative irregularities, and extends legal protection to any person who reports facts of which they have knowledge in a work or professional context.

Source: Official Gazette of the Province of A Coruña, no. 193, October 9, 2026, Local Administration, p. 1 (official reference: 2026/6443).