Portugal’s new attorney general (“Procuradora Geral da República” or PGR for short) will be stepping into her predecessor’s shoes next week and into a Lion’s Den of media magnet cases – at least two of them involving former BES banker Ricardo Salgado who has been back in front of the cameras today refusing to say anything about any kind of involvement in the so-called CMEC case, centring on the alleged fixing of lucrative energy subsidies (click here).
Lucília Gago, 62, was the personal choice of outgoing anti-corruption PGR Joana Marques Vidal, who had been in the position for the last six years and has been acknowledged as the sea-change in how this country deals with institutional corruption
Gago is a specialist in Family Law, she has championed cases of abused children and she has also worked behind the scenes on all kinds of corruption cases.
Her appointment, to be taken up on October 12, will see her suddenly at the helm of investigations that have been ongoing for years: Monte Branco (focusing on money-laundering), Universe Espírito Santo (relating to the collapse of BES), EDP (those alleged ‘fixed’ CMEC subsidies), Cash Ball (alleged corruption with Sporting Football Club), Tutti Frutti (alleged political influence-peddling) and Mala Ciao (another investigation centring on purpoted corruption within the sporting world).
Gago is known for her aversion to the media spotlight.
She is married to a former top man within the PJ police force, and has vowed to uphold Joana Marques Vidal’s legacy, ensuring a true ‘separation of powers’ and a country where it has become more and more difficult to get away with being corrupt.
