This Monday the trial continues in the National Court regarding the ‘Kitchen case’, where the alleged police espionage operation will be judged, against the former treasurer of the Popular Party Luis Bárcenas, with the aim of protecting the ‘popular’ party from the investigations of the Gürtel case, the largest corruption plot that points to the PP. In this context, high-ranking officials and several police agents are expected to testify during Mariano Rajoy's government.
The first witnesses to testify will be the former director general of the National Police Ignacio Cosidó; Commissioner Enrique Barón and Mariano Hervás, former number two of the Central Operational Support Unit (UCAO), in addition to several agents of the force. Likewise, another of the key testimonies is that of the director of the Soto del Real prison who will testify this Thursday.
On the other hand, the most relevant days in question of key testimonies are:
- April 20, 2026: the former PP treasurer Luis Bárcenas, his wife Rosalía Iglesias and UDEF inspector Manuel Morocho, one of the main investigators of the Gürtel case, will testify.
- April 23, 2026: the appearance of the former Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy is scheduled, along with the former PP secretary general María Dolores de Cospedal and other political and police officials.
- April 27, 2026: among others, former Vice President Soraya Sáenz de Santamaría and Guillermo Bárcenas, son of the former treasurer, will testify.
During May, the statements of witnesses and experts will continue, while starting from May 14, the interrogations of the accused will begin.
In the final weeks of the trial, documents, recordings and other evidentiary materials will be analyzed, before the process is expected to conclude on June 30, 2026.
The accused
In the trial for the so-called 'Kitchen case', 10 defendants will be interrogated, among whom is, Jorge Fernández Díaz, former Minister of the Interior with Rajoy, who is the main defendant. The Prosecutor's Office charges him with criminal organization, embezzlement of reserved funds, disclosure of secrets and malfeasance, requesting 15 years in prison plus 33 years of disqualification for authorizing illegal espionage from his ministry.
Francisco Martínez, his Secretary of State for Security, faces the same charges plus cover-up, with the same penalty requested. He is accused of directly coordinating the 53,266 euros diverted and meetings with Villarejo to organize the operation.
José Manuel Villarejo, retired commissioner and material executor, is the most punished: 19 years for criminal organization, embezzlement, and revelation of secrets. He recruited the driver Sergio Ríos, raided Bárcenas' workshop, and coordinated surveillance and wiretaps on the former treasurer's conversations.
Eugenio Pino, former deputy operational director of the National Police (DAO), is accused of criminal organization, embezzlement, and revelation of secrets. The Prosecutor's Office requests 15 years in prison and 33 years of disqualification for authorizing from the police leadership the diversion of reserved funds and supervising the espionage operation against Bárcenas. He was the bridge between Interior and Villarejo, validating the illegal payments to the driver Sergio Ríos.
Sergio Ríos, driver of the Bárcenas family turned mole, faces embezzlement and revelation of secrets. He collected 53,000 euros from public funds (€2,000/month + extras) for tapping conversations, delivering documents from the B-fund, and facilitating the raid on Bárcenas' workshop. They are asking for 8 years and 5 months in prison.
Andrés Gómez Gordo, personal advisor to María Dolores de Cospedal in Génova, is charged with criminal organization and embezzlement. He directly managed false invoices from secret funds (meals, pistol for Ríos) and coordinated with Villarejo. PSOE requests provisional detention due to flight risk; Prosecutor's Office requests 15 years.
Marcelino Martín Blas, Commissioner of Internal Affairs, is accused of embezzlement for delivering public money to Villarejo (part of the €53,000). He was the physical "distributor" of the reserved funds falsely justified as "security". They are asking for 2 years and 6 months in prison.
José Luis Olivera, former head of the UDEF -police officers investigating Gürtel-, faces revelation of secrets and possible bribery. He is charged with leaking sensitive information from the judicial investigation to the ‘Kitchen’ plot to obstruct it. The Prosecutor's Office requests 6 years in prison.
To complete the list, Bonifacio Díez Sevilla, police inspector, knowledgeable about the plot, will also sit, as well as chief inspector José Ángel Fuentes Gago, for whom the popular prosecution demands 13 years in prison.
