Villarejo Claims Rajoy 'Took Advantage' of Kitchen Operation to Seize Sensitive Information, Sparking Courtroom Drama

The trial for Spain's 'Operación Kitchen' took a dramatic turn on Monday as retired commissioner José Manuel Villarejo directly accused former Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy of exploiting a police operation for personal political gain. Villarejo, a key defendant in the case, told the National Court that Rajoy 'took advantage' of what he described as an 'official and correct' operation to locate assets of former PP treasurer Luis Bárcenas abroad, in order to 'seize' any information that could compromise him.

I get the impression that Mr. Rajoy took advantage of this official and correct operation, which was to locate assets abroad, so that if there was something that affected him, he could seize it.

The Cardhu Defense

Villarejo painted a picture of a master manipulator, suggesting that other high-ranking officials were unwitting pawns. He claimed that both former Interior Minister Jorge Fernández Díaz and former Secretary of State for Security Francisco Martínez were 'deceived by the genius of Rajoy, who solves everything with Cardhu,' a reference to a brand of whiskey. This remark drew laughter from other defendants in the courtroom.

With hindsight, I have the impression that both the former minister and the secretary of state, as well as the rest who are charged here, were deceived by the genius of Mr. Rajoy, who solves everything with Cardhu.

Competing Narratives in Court

Villarejo's testimony contrasted sharply with that of another former police chief, Eugenio Pino, the former Deputy Operational Director (DAO). Pino defended the operation as a legitimate 'intelligence operation' aimed solely at tracing money Bárcenas allegedly hid in Swiss bank accounts in 2013. He denied informing the minister or secretary of state about the surveillance of Bárcenas's wife and claimed the term 'Operación Kitchen' was coined by a journalist, not the police.

From the DAO's police perspective, when there is a car waiting to go, according to the informant's information, to get money, obviously you have to set up a service, no matter how you look at it. We weren't looking for documents. We were trying to get the money.

The Chauffeur and the Missing Money

Central to the operation was the recruitment of Sergio Ríos, the Bárcenas family chauffeur. Villarejo admitted he was tasked with recruiting Ríos, who was considered a person of 'total trust' to the former treasurer. Pino testified that he authorized payments from reserved funds to Ríos because he 'had no job or money' after Bárcenas's imprisonment in the Gürtel case. The initial lead about money in Switzerland was later disproven, with Pino stating that subsequent information pointed to money in Paraguay managed by former PP official Ángel Sanchís, leading to the operation's termination.

Shifting Blame and New Allegations

Villarejo attempted to distance the operation from the PP's internal affairs, claiming the initial objective was to investigate Bárcenas's trips to the 'border' and alleged 'arms trafficking' that concerned 'high state security instances.' He also accused the prosecution of using a recording obtained from 'the sewers of the PSOE,' a claim immediately challenged as the audio was found in one of his own properties. Meanwhile, Pino pointed the finger at former National Police Director Ignacio Cosidó, who has never been charged, as being aware of the operation from its inception. Pino also made unsubstantiated allegations against Bárcenas's son, claiming he traveled to move money abroad.

Legal Stakes

The trial is examining an alleged espionage plot orchestrated from within Rajoy's Interior Ministry to steal sensitive information from Bárcenas that could implicate PP leaders and obstruct investigations into the party's slush fund. The prosecution is seeking a 19-year prison sentence for Villarejo, the highest requested penalty, and 15 years each for Fernández Díaz, Martínez, and Pino.