Former Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy has denied any knowledge of a covert police operation targeting a key figure in his party’s long-running corruption scandals, as a major trial continues to expose the murkier workings of Spain’s political establishment.
Testifying on Thursday before the Audiencia Nacional, Spain’s top criminal court, Rajoy rejected claims that he ordered—or was even aware of—a clandestine effort to spy on former Popular Party (PP) treasurer Luis Bárcenas.
“I did not know this police operation was happening,” Rajoy said, insisting he only became aware of it in 2021, years after leaving office.
The case centres on former interior minister Jorge Fernández Díaz and several senior officials, who stand accused of orchestrating an illegal operation using public funds to monitor Bárcenas and recover potentially damaging documents. Prosecutors are seeking up to 15 years in prison for Fernández Díaz on charges including embezzlement and violations of privacy.
Bárcenas, once the PP’s powerful financial chief, was jailed in 2013 and later sentenced to 12 years for his role in the party’s illegal financing scheme. During the fallout, he threatened to reveal further details about alleged off-the-books payments, raising fears within party ranks.
According to investigators, the operation aimed to recruit Bárcenas’ driver to obtain sensitive material from him and his wife—without judicial authorisation.
Rajoy also brushed off suggestions that coded references in police transcripts—such as “the bearded one” or “the Asturian”—pointed to him. “My name is Mariano Rajoy, as everyone knows,” he said.
The scandal, one of several that engulfed the PP, contributed to the collapse of Rajoy’s government in 2018, paving the way for socialist leader Pedro Sánchez to take power.
While the Socialists capitalised on the PP’s troubles, they have subsequently faced multiple corruption scandals themselves—reinforcing a broader sense that Spain’s political class, across party lines, remains deeply compromised.
