Manuel García-Castellón

Manuel García-Castellón is a judge at the Audiencia Nacional, a high court in Spain. He is currently newsworthy due to the upcoming trial related to 'Operación Kitchen,' a controversial police operation allegedly conducted during Mariano Rajoy's government to spy on Luis Bárcenas, the former treasurer of the People's Party (PP). García-Castellón previously oversaw the investigation into Operación Kitchen. A key event during his investigation was a face-to-face confrontation he orchestrated in 2020 between Jorge Fernández Díaz, the former Minister of the Interior, and Francisco Martínez, the former Secretary of State for Security. The trial is commencing with preliminary matters, where defense lawyers are expected to challenge the admissibility of key evidence. García-Castellón's role in the investigation makes him a central figure in this politically sensitive case.