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There is a man in Spain who does everything. He is José Manuel Villarejo Pérez and, according to his own answers this Friday in the trial for the

in his 40-year career he has infiltrated men in ETA, snatched a grenade from a

, dazzled the CIA, detected weapons of

, negotiated with pirates and protected the rights of his colleagues as a trade unionist. Among many other episodes that make up an "impressive baggage" of work for the State, in the words of his lawyer.

But during that time, according to Anticorruption, the retired commissioner has also enriched himself with businesses incompatible with his police status, accessing reserved data that brought him great benefits.

In the indictment, that translates to more than 100 years in prison.

Of the four hours of interrogation of his defense this Friday at the National Court, three have focused on dismantling the image of "ogre" that, according to lawyer

, the CNI and its rivals in the Police have been building in recent years as part of its "annihilation strategy".

Against this, Villarejo has presented the image of a policeman who in 1973, when he joined the Corps, was assigned to the fight against ETA in the Basque Country.

"I was the first to infiltrate someone," he said.

As he spoke some French, he was also in charge of the "delicate" task of being the

with the French police, which explains why from the beginning his tasks were oriented towards "intelligence work".

In 1983, he left the force, upon verifying in a conversation with Felipe González that he could be a burden for his colleagues due to the intense union work he had carried out in the previous years.

In the private sector, he set up successful and diverse companies - he brought digital sound to Spain, he said.

"Something incredible"

After another decade, Interior Minister

called him to tell him that he wanted to set up "civilian intelligence" and that he wanted him to be "the embryo."

And precisely with the cover of the companies that he already had.

The story has continued to explain his operations against the narco

, the recruitment of the narco

or the fruitful contacts with the Arab world, including arms dealers such as

or characters such as the leader of the Palestine Liberation Front

.

With this he got "something incredible": he provided "a Samsonite suitcase that was an explosive in itself, undetectable at airports."

The affair ended with a trip by his superior to

"The CIA was amazed. Many attacks that Black September had prepared were prevented."

He has also given to understand - due to the questions of his defense, because he has not formally answered - that he is the one who appears in the sentence on the kidnapping of the

as "a certain Pepe, about 45 years old, of Spanish appearance, good conversationalist, who seemed to have ease in these matters" and who was in charge of negotiating the ransom with the Somali pirates.

So much list of operations "for the benefit of the State" has ended up making the president of the court,

, impatient .

"What does that have to do with it? The Catalonia operation does not interest us here at all. Limit yourself to this cause, that we have not yet entered into the subject that brings us", the magistrate has intervened.

"We do not care what the political leaders have said, that does not affect the court, neither for better nor for worse", he added when the lawyer started to quote the President of the Government,

.

"I hope so, Your Honor," said Villarejo, before going on to deny the essential points of the accusation.

For example, he never presented himself to his clients as a police officer, although

he was still active in two of the three businesses investigated (

,

, and

And in no case did he offer them protected data that he had obtained through his official contacts.

What he entered was reintegrated into the companies "at the service of the State."

"An Interior Branch"

The main defendant in the

has also insisted that all governments were aware of and took for granted his situation as an undercover police officer with private businesses that gave him the coverage he needed. "No police officer has several operational identities and is allowed for 30 years to have a structure with 10 interior ministers. And not in a dark alley, but in the most emblematic building in Madrid, the Picasso Tower. I have had meetings there with high command When it has been necessary, the office has functioned as a branch of the Ministry of the Interior."

Villarejo's statement, which has concluded after five days, is not the last.

The court will continue to take statements from other defendants.

If you can, because one of them, as reported by a lawyer to the court, refuses to appear.

According to his family, he has barricaded himself in his room, has blocked the door with a piece of furniture and refuses to attend.

This is

, accused in the

, who investigates obtaining videos to blackmail a lawyer.

Anti-corruption asks him for 12 years in prison for revealing secrets.

The court has already had patience with him, who did not appear on the first day of trial either.

But it's over now.

"Tell him that Monday will come by hook or by crook," warned the president.

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• Jose Manuel Villarejo

• Spain

• ETA

• Catalonia

• Fernando Grande-Marlaska

• Madrid

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• Philip Gonzalez

• Basque Country

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