Madrid, Spain: Two former senior police officials, Eugenio Pino and José Manuel Villarejo, testified on 1 June 2026 in the ‘Kitchen’ trial at the Audiencia Nacional. The case concerns an alleged covert police operation between 2013 and 2015 to spy on Luis Bárcenas, the former treasurer of the Popular Party (PP).
Pino, the former Deputy Operational Director of the Police, and Villarejo, a former commissioner, gave their statements as the trial entered its final stages. Court officials said this week’s proceedings were limited to Monday’s session.
Last Thursday, Jorge Fernández Díaz, who served as Interior Minister in Mariano Rajoy’s first government, and Francisco Martínez, the former Secretary of State for Security, appeared as defendants. Both denied giving orders to investigate Bárcenas or his family.
The case centres on allegations that public funds and police resources were used to monitor Bárcenas. Prosecutors say the alleged operation aimed to stop him from revealing compromising information about the PP and its leaders.
The court will now consider the testimony as it moves towards a verdict. For more Catalonia-wide news, see our news coverage.
