The Attorney General has decided to initiate two preventive investigations. “It is his criterion. I will not criticize him or comment on him because I cannot, I should not, but probably I would not have done it,” a retired magistrate stated at the northern presentation of the book “Pela Reforma da Justiça — O grupo do Manifesto dos 50”.
Discussing the preventive investigations, she mentioned that “they exist within the Public Prosecutor’s Office, but for a different type of inquiries (…) to prevent money laundering in a specific mechanism that is not worth explaining here,” she added.
When asked if the Public Prosecutor works to harm elections, Maria José Fernandes expressed disbelief in such an intention. She acknowledged, however, that “it might happen that the preventive investigations and these processes have some influence on some citizens’ decision-making when voting.”
“It is a decision that depends a lot on each person’s style. If I were in the Attorney General’s position, I might not have done it. But, well, I am not the one there. The Attorney General made the decision. It’s his criterion, his decision; he has that freedom. I will neither criticize it nor comment on it,” she added.
Regarding the preventive investigation into Pedro Nuno Santos, which was archived when the investigation emerged in Porto, the magistrate explained that “there was an anonymous complaint, which was considered unfounded; anonymous complaints only lead to inquiries if, as the code states, they have credible facts that substantiate the crime.”
“From what I have heard, there was an anonymous complaint here in Porto, it was understood that there was no criminal matter, and therefore, it was archived,” she continued.
When questioned about the first six months of Amadeu Guerra as Attorney General, she noted the balance “is positive,” although “six months is very little time.”
“So far, I have nothing to criticize. I think he is doing well, from my point of view,” she remarked.
