The high-ranking officials of the Popular Party (PP) during Mariano Rajoy’s term, including the then-president of the government, will have to testify in the trial of the Kitchen case. This case involves an operation carried out in 2013 within the Ministry of the Interior and the National Police to spy on the former PP treasurer Luis Bárcenas, with the alleged aim of stealing documents that could harm the party. A court has ruled on admitting most of the testimonies requested by the political parties, including the requests from the Socialist Party (PSOE) and Podemos, who are acting as popular accusers in the case. Testimonies will include police officers, PP leaders, Rajoy, former vice president Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría, former PP secretary general Dolores de Cospedal, and former Interior Minister Juan Ignacio Zoido. However, the court rejected requests to summon journalists, the current Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska, and the chief prosecutor of the Villarejo case, Ignacio Stampa, as witnesses.
The trial for the Operation Kitchen will see former Interior Minister Jorge Fernández Díaz among others facing charges. The Anticorruption Prosecutor’s Office is seeking a 15-year prison sentence for Fernández Díaz. The trial is pending a slot in the National Court’s schedule, as the court is currently overwhelmed with cases, as explained by the judges in their latest ruling. The court aims to move forward with the proceedings and prepare the evidence to be presented at the trial. The recent ruling follows requests made by the defense and the prosecutors in their respective submissions, with PSOE and Podemos requesting the testimony of a dozen PP leaders and individuals associated with the party during the relevant time period. The judges have agreed to summon all the requested witnesses, including Rajoy, Saénz de Santamaría, Cospedal, Zoido, and others.
In addition to the politicians mentioned earlier, the list of witnesses includes Enrique López, former adviser of the presidency, justice, and interior in Madrid; former secretary of state for security José Antonio Nieto; former interior minister Ignacio Ulloa; former director general of the Police Ignacio Cosidó; former chief of staff of Cospedal during her time as president of Castilla-La Mancha and PP secretary general, José Luis Ortiz Grande; Ignacio López del Hierro, husband of the former popular leader; former minister and vice secretary of the PP Javier Arenas; and former party security delegate Guillermo Barroso. The Operation against the former PP treasurer was initiated after the publication of Bárcenas’ documents regarding the party’s slush fund and corruption related to Francisco Correa’s companies. As a result, 11 individuals, including Fernández Díaz, Francisco Martínez, and Eugenio Pino, have been sent to trial by Judge García-Castellón.
It is important to note that the effects of corruption and illegal activities in close proximity to those in power can have far-reaching consequences. The willingness of the judiciary to hold accountable those involved in such operations demonstrates a commitment to upholding the rule of law and ensuring transparency in government affairs. The testimonies of key figures in the PP during the relevant time period will shed light on the extent of their involvement in the Kitchen case and the alleged espionage activities against Bárcenas. As the trial progresses, further details may emerge regarding the motivations behind the operation and the potential consequences for those implicated in the scandal. The outcome of the trial will likely have significant implications for Spain’s political landscape and could impact public trust in the country’s institutions.
