Police Operation Conducted Without Judicial Oversight In Spain

A lead investigator in the Gurtel case testified that a police operation was launched to monitor Luis Barcenas and his associates without judicial authorization. The testimony occurred during a trial regarding the finances of the People's Party (PP) and the alleged 'Barcenas papers' slush fund. An investigator claims there were permanent pressures and maneuvers to prevent judicial investigations from evolving. The source stated that reports were reviewed and delayed, and that evidence from secret instructions was known by political leaders. The investigator alleged that meetings were held to determine which points to address and how to present them. The name of Rajoy was reportedly kept out of the proceedings. The investigation was reportedly carried out by a police group led by former minister Fernández Díaz, who was then part of the Economic and Fiscal Crime Unit. Superiors are accused of pressuring and maneuvering during the process, according to the source. The report references corroborating evidence from an email dated August 20, 2013. The source claims to have found corroboration of this unauthorized operation on a computer, which included lists of people, addresses, and vehicles. The dossier suggests that a police operation was carried out independently, as the investigator had not proposed spying on the Bárcenas family and was unaware that the former treasurer's driver was acting as a police informant. Additionally, reports indicate there were pressures from superior officers regarding the investigation's findings.