Despicable

Police are investigating the misappropriation of hundreds of millions of euros of funding destined for retraining programmes in the Andalusia region of Spain. Although the investigation is still in its early stages, it is believed that more than 2 billion euros was siphoned off by local officials. 

Regional governors, trade union leaders and employers’ associations worked together to receive the money to run back-to –work schemes which never took place. The companies involved set up the schemes with bogus lists of students and folded before the courses even started. 

In the meantime, unemployment in the region stands at 36%.