Judge Antonio Piña’s decision not to reopen the case against María Dolores de Cospedal, her former husband Ignacio López del Hierro, and the Partido Popular (PP) in the Villarejo affair came as a surprise to many Spaniards. At a time when society is closely monitoring high-profile investigations, such decisions raise not only questions but also concerns about the transparency of the judicial system. For many in the country, this move may signal just how difficult it is to challenge cases involving high-ranking politicians.
In his ruling, Judge Piña emphasized that he saw no grounds to resume the investigation, fully agreeing with the stance of the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office. He sharply rejected accusations from the opposition, particularly the Socialists, who claimed the court had allegedly concealed crucial audio recordings. According to the judge, such statements are not only false but also undermine public trust in the judicial system and the work of the prosecution.
Accusations and Response
At the heart of the conflict were accusations from PSOE representatives against the judge and the prosecutor’s office. The Socialists insisted that certain audio recordings that could have influenced the case had been withheld from them. However, Judge Piña reminded them that these materials had already been available to the opposition and had previously not been deemed significant from a criminal law perspective. Moreover, parts of these recordings had already been published in the media, and their content did not provide new grounds for a review of the case.
Previously, the case against Cospedal was closed due to lack of evidence, and this decision was upheld by the Audiencia Nacional. Despite this, the opposition continued to insist on questioning the former minister as part of a new phase in the investigation, related to dozens of audio recordings made by former commissioner José Manuel Villarejo.
The Kitchen Case
María Dolores de Cospedal was involved in a separate episode of the Villarejo case, known as ‘Kitchen.’ This episode concerned an alleged operation to seize documents from former People’s Party treasurer Luis Bárcenas that could have harmed the party. The investigation into this episode has already been completed, and the trial is expected to begin in the coming months.
In December last year, PSOE representatives again demanded that Cospedal be summoned for questioning as part of another segment of the case, which involves numerous audio recordings. However, after reviewing these materials, Judge Piña concluded that they did not contain any new facts that could justify reopening the investigation.
Reaction and consequences
The judge specifically noted that the police findings, particularly those from the internal affairs unit, also found no evidence of criminal behavior in the recorded conversations between Cospedal and Villarejo. Moreover, some of these recordings had already been published in the media, and the National Court even requested full versions of the audio files from several publications for analysis.
Piña warned that summoning Cospedal for questioning again could affect the course of the upcoming Kitchen trial. If the former minister were once again to become a suspect, it could change the defense strategy and influence how the public perceives the case. Ultimately, the judge decided not to give in to political pressure and left the case closed, sparking a new wave of discussion in political and legal circles.
