The Court analyzes the persecution of the Interior sewers to Podemos

The political and police leadership of the Ministry of the Interior under the PP Government allegedly illegally spied on Podemos and its leaders for at least two years (2015-2016), according to evidence contained in several summaries of the National Court that are still alive, although other issues are investigated in them and in no case have these irregular activities been investigated. This persecution of Podemos without judicial support translated into reports, many of them prepared with false data, that the police chiefs and Interior politicians previously leaked to certain media outlets and, only on rare occasions, were subsequently prosecuted, according to the evidence gathered. until now. The cases based on these reports that reached the courts against Podemos were archived, as they were proven false or without sufficient evidence. Now, a judge of the National Court, Santiago Pedraz, has a complaint from Podemos on his table and will have to decide whether he investigates the persecution of this party by the so-called sewers of the State.

Judge Manuel García-Castellón, who is investigating the Kitchen case – the illegal espionage of the former treasurer of the PP Luis Bárcenas to steal evidence that could incriminate the Government of Mariano Rajoy in the illegal financing of the party – incorporated a year ago into the summary the transcription of some conversations that the Secretary of State for Security at that time, Francisco Martínez, had with the main police chiefs through WhatsApp. In this exchange of messages, numerous allegedly illegal operations that the police launched against Podemos leaders were discussed. Last October, this group filed a complaint against the former heads of the Ministry of the Interior in which it denounced this persecution and provided documents to prove the alleged crimes committed. This evidence was taken from summaries that are being investigated in the National Court in the so-called “Tándem case”, the police mafia that Commissioner José Manuel Villarejo directed for 20 years.

Judge Santiago Pedraz, to whom the complaint was distributed, sent it to court number 6 directed by Manuel-García Castellón, understanding that the events reported corresponded in part to the Kitchen case, which his partner was already instructing. Podemos appealed this decision before the Criminal Chamber, alleging that García-Castellón had expressed animosity against his former leader, Pablo Iglesias, whom he tried to accuse in the Dina case. In his judicial investigations, Judge García-Castellón accumulates numerous evidence of these alleged illegal actions by the police against Podemos, but he has never investigated them.

The Criminal Chamber finally resolved last Friday that the jurisdiction to hear the complaint corresponds to Santiago Pedraz. If this judge admits it, it will be the first time that the National Court opens an investigation into two years of police persecution without judicial protection of political opponents of the PP during the mandate of Mariano Rajoy's Government.

Podemos' complaint details numerous police operations against this political group. Many of these facts have been published by EL PAÍS in the last two years. They are, among others, the following:

1. The police records of “the 69” of Podemos

The PP lost its absolute majority in the general elections of December 2015. Podemos—in its first general elections—gained 69 deputies and was key to taking power from the PP. In January 2016, the Secretary of State for Security, Francisco Martínez, commissioned the chief commissioner of the Central Operational Support Unit (UCAO), Enrique García Castaño, through WhatsApp, with a special job. The conversation appears in the summary of the Kitchen case:

Martinez. It would be very interesting to know if Podemos had a history… And if they have been involved in nationalist issues, issues of violent extremism, etc.

García Castaño. Josetxu Arrieta is the only one who belongs to ETA. The last one that appears in the photos…

Martinez. And the rest nothing?

Garcia Castano. I look at it again, but I don't think so. […].

García Castaño. Germán's bastard [Rodríguez Castiñeira, jefe de la Brigada Provincial de Información] He tells me that this afternoon, because looking at all 69 is worth it, but you have to look at them one by one.

2. Pablo Iglesias SA Report, archived

In 2016, the police leaked a report titled Pablo Iglesias Public Limited Company (PISA) that he intended to denounce irregularities of the then leader of Podemos and his party, according to the recordings seized from Commissioner José Manuel Villarejo and the WhatsApp messages sent by Francisco Martínez. Interior went further with this police maneuver, as it reported the facts to the Court of Accounts for alleged illegal financing. But this body filed the complaint. Other complaints in the courts—one of them, from the far-right union Clean Hands—were also filed.

García Castaño. What there is is enough to cause a scandal, even if he says that everything is legal… This outcast [Pablo Iglesias] how have you lived? Why so much money? Who has subsidized them? to what end? What does Iran do in this move, a country that is friendly to Venezuela, a hell of a fight.

Martinez. And in addition to the political scandal, are there crimes?

García Castaño. Well, I don't know about the tax issue…

3. The CEPS Foundation and Venezuela. “Three down on the cover”; “Applause”

The Ministry of the Interior, led by Jorge Fernández Díaz, leaked information about the money paid by the Government of Venezuela to the CEPS Foundation, where some of its main leaders worked before founding Podemos. The Secretary of State for Security punctually followed the results of the leaks in The world and ABC and he applauded the journalists who told him how this information would be published.

The world. “3 down on the cover. The foundation related to Podemos tracked the press for Chávez.”

Martinez. Applause. Has anyone remembered ABC.

The world. No shit, we wear the same thing.

Martinez. It is not the same but they are also CEPS reports. But others. There is a lot of mobilization. Hahaha.

4. The false payment to Iglesias in the Grenadine Islands

OkDiario published information, leaked by the Interior according to conversations between the Secretary of State and the top police chief, in which he accused Pablo Iglesias of having collected $275,000 from the Venezuelan regime in 2014 through an account in his name at Europ Pacific. Bank, in the tax haven of the Grenadine Islands. The Deputy Operational Director of the police, Eugenio Pino, informed his political boss, Francisco Martínez, about this operation.

Pine tree. They're looking for the check.

Martinez. Well, better, becaus
e journalists are starting to say that it's bad. The Attorney General already has it. It seems that she will open proceedings. Are you still convinced that it is good?

Pine tree. Completely. Do not hesitate.

The bank document turned out to be false and the attorney general never opened proceedings. The bank made a statement: “Euro Pacific Bank has never maintained an account for this person nor has it received a wire transfer from any of the financial institutions or sources mentioned in the article. Additionally, the bank does not maintain accounts for politically exposed persons (PEP) nor accept payments from Venezuela under any circumstances.”

Podemos recounts other similar episodes in its complaint and accuses the senior Interior officers under the PP mandate (minister, secretary of State and several commissioners) of the crimes of revealing secrets, embezzlement of public funds, administrative prevarication, falsification of official documents. or use of a false official document and criminal organization.

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