The CGPJ distances itself from the 'Kitchen' chats considering that it is a jurisdictional matter

MADRID, 9 Mar. (EUROPA PRESS) -

The Permanent Commission of the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ) has analyzed in its plenary session this Thursday the journalistic revelations about the WhatsApp messages that the former Secretary of State for Security Francisco Martínez sent to the president of the National Court (AN), José Ramón Navarro, during the judicial investigation into 'Operation Kitchen', concluding that it is a matter outside his competence.

According to the sources of the governing body of the judges consulted by Europa Press, the Permanent Commission interprets that it is an issue framed within the jurisdictional function and, consequently, it is beyond the scope of the disciplinary action that would be the responsibility of the CGPJ, a measure which has been completely ruled out.

In addition, the members that make up the executive body of the CGPJ have emphasized that the information published in the press could not be verified because it is not public, but rather forms part of the judicial investigation.

The Permanent Commission had simply proposed the "assessment of the journalistic information in relation to the actions carried out in the separate piece 96/2017 by the Central Court of Instruction Number 6 of the National Court".

The members already discussed this matter during the previous meeting of the Permanent Commission, held on March 2, but then they addressed it informally and did not see enough material to adopt any type of measure regarding Navarro, according to the sources. marked.

Those WhatsApp chats came to light when the AN finished incorporating into the digital platform all the material derived from the investigations into parapolice espionage that would have been orchestrated by the Ministry of the Interior between 2013 and 2015 against the former treasurer of the PP Luis Bárcenas and their entourage to steal all the compromising material they might have from the party or its leaders.

Prosecutor sources indicate that the facts were already investigated at the time to end up concluding that Navarro limited himself to maintaining cordial contact with Martínez without providing him with anything about the judicial investigations.

The head of the Central Court of Instruction Number 6, Manuel García Castellón, ended his inquiries in July 2021, prosecuting former Interior Minister Jorge Fernández Díaz as the alleged 'brain' of the 'Kitchen' along with ten other people, including Martínez, the former deputy operational director (DAO) of the National Police Eugenio Pino and former commissioners such as José Manuel Villarejo, Enrique García Castaño or Andrés Gómez Gordo.

The Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office requests a 15-year prison sentence for Fernández Díaz y Martínez; while the Bárcenas are interested in 41 years for both; the PSOE, 47 years and 10 months for the first and 38 years and 3 months for the second; and Unidas Podemos, 41 years old for both of them as well.

The accusations had asked the judge to reopen the investigations to investigate the alleged involvement of the former general secretary of the PP María Dolores de Cospedal, following the dissemination in 'El País' of a conversation between him and Villarejo in 2013 where he asked him " stop" the matter of Bárcenas' "little notebook", but the Criminal Chamber of the AN has supported García Castellón's decision to close the investigation.