The former President of the Government, Mariano Rajoy, has denied this Thursday before the National Court any involvement in the Kitchen case and has categorically rejected the existence of a slush fund in the Popular Party. During his testimony as a witness, he assured that he never had knowledge of the alleged parapolice espionage against former treasurer Luis Bárcenas nor of the alleged destruction of evidence.
Total denial of the Kitchen operation
Rajoy has defended a clear line throughout his appearance: absolute ignorance. He assured that he did not order nor know of any operation to steal information from Bárcenas, in reference to the investigated operation that allegedly took place between 2013 and 2014 from the Ministry of the Interior.
The former president has insisted that he never received information about this type of actions and has denied any political participation in police decisions.
“Radically false”
One of the key points of the interrogation has been the alleged parallel accounting of the PP. Rajoy has been adamant in describing Bárcenas's claims about the existence of a slush fund and the delivery of compromising documents as "radically false".
He has also denied destroying papers related to that alleged irregular financing, as the former treasurer maintains.
🔴 Trial #CASOKITCHEN | Mariano Rajoy responds about whether he is 'El Barbas' or 'M. Rajoy' : "Look, my name is Mariano Rajoy, as everyone knows, and then each person calls me what they want. Therefore, ask them"
— demócrata (@democrata_info) April 23, 2026
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His relationship with Bárcenas, "purely professional"
In his statement, Rajoy has tried to downplay his link with Bárcenas, assuring that the relationship between them was “purely professional” and that he did not handle the party’s economic management.
The former president has distanced himself from who was one of the main people responsible for the PP's finances for years, recalling that he was already in office when he came to lead the party.
"I don't remember it"
Throughout the interrogation, Rajoy frequently resorted to answers such as "I don't remember" or "absolutely false" to specific questions about facts, meetings, or decisions related to the plot.
Aliases in the case
Regarding the nicknames used in the investigation —such as “M.R.”, “el Barbas” or “el Asturiano”—, Rajoy has downplayed their importance:
“My name is Mariano Rajoy, and everyone calls me what they want”, he stated.
What is being judged in the Kitchen case
The trial for the Kitchen case analyzes an alleged illegal operation driven from the Ministry of the Interior during the PP Government to spy on Bárcenas and recover sensitive documentation on party financing.
Keys of Rajoy's declaration
- Denies the PP's slush fund
- Denies having destroyed evidence
- Assures he did not know about Operation Kitchen
- Distances himself from Bárcenas
- Repeats "I don't remember" in numerous answers