Former President of the Republic Cavaco Silva expressed his dismay on Tuesday at the death of former prosecutor Joana Marques Vidal, praising the “firmness” with which he carried out his mandate and the “balanced approach with which he handled very complex cases.”
In a note sent to Lusa, Aníbal Cavaco Silva said he received the news of the death of the former Attorney General of the Republic, 68, with “deep shock”, regretting her “too soon and unexpected departure” and saying he had been convinced of “her honesty and thoughtfulness” even before her appointment in 2012.
“The firmness with which Joana Marques Vidal carried out her mandate, giving new dynamics to criminal investigations, and the balanced approach with which she managed very complex cases, impressed me greatly. I had the opportunity to say this in 2018, when her mandate ended. The dignity he has shown since then confirms the reasons for my admiration,” wrote Cavaco Silva.
The former head of state considered that Marques Vidal “rendered very important services to Portugal” and expressed “sincere condolences” to his family, “especially his father,” José Marques Vidal, former director general of the Judicial Police.
“His sudden departure, which comes too soon, deprives us of a sober, serious and relevant voice in the world of justice,” he said.
Joana Marques Vidal, the first woman to head the General Prosecutor’s Office (PGR) between 2012 and 2018, died on Tuesday at the age of 68 at the São João Hospital in Porto after weeks in a coma.
In 2018, at the proposal of the then PS government led by António Costa, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa appointed a new Attorney General of the Republic, Lucilia Gago, without reappointing Joana Marques Vidal.
The head of state justified his decision with two “defining reasons”: he had always advocated for term limits and believed that Lucilia Gago ensured the continuity of the fight against corruption and the protection of “equal justice for all.”
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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