Former commissioner José Manuel Villarejo, whose name has long been linked to major corruption scandals in Spain, has once again found himself in the spotlight. This time, he emerged victorious in his fifth trial before the Audiencia Nacional, which examined a case regarding the illegal gathering of information in Marbella (Málaga) in 2015.
The panel of judges found no convincing evidence that Villarejo had personally taken part in the operation to obtain confidential data about a local businessman. While the investigation determined that his business partner and employees had abused their positions to access restricted information, the former commissioner himself was cleared of suspicion. This marks the second time in a short period that Villarejo has evaded similar charges unscathed.
At the center of the story is a conflict between a Marbella resident and a businessman, which she tried to resolve through lawyer Rafael Redondo, who is associated with Villarejo. Through Redondo’s law firm Stuart & Mckenzie—part of the former commissioner’s business network—a probe into the businessman was set in motion. Serving police officers were enlisted and, using their authority, accessed personal data and passed it on to a third party, former policeman Antonio Bonilla. In the end, the information ended up in Villarejo’s group’s possession.
Although the court recognized the illegal acquisition and transmission of data, the charges against Villarejo were not proven. The judges concluded that his involvement in organizing the scheme had not been established. As a result, he was acquitted of bribery and disclosure of secrets, despite prosecutors demanding a nine-year prison sentence.
Who was held accountable
Unlike Villarejo, two police officers — Constancio Riaño and Antonio Bonilla — were found guilty of illegal access to information and sentenced to one year in prison. Redondo’s lawyer, who was also involved in the case, was excluded from the proceedings due to health reasons and has yet to stand trial.
Thus, the high-profile case once again ended with an acquittal for Villarejo, even as those around him were caught in the crossfire. This episode adds a new layer to the portrait of one of the most controversial figures in modern Spanish law enforcement.
