In the request, Vara, who is in prison in Évora, spoke about "the situation he is in" and lack of access to information.


All members agreed, however, to maintain what was scheduled for Vara to come to parliament on Friday.


The parliamentary committee chairman, Luís Leite Ramos, said that the services of the committee of Inquiry examined the request of Vara and recalled that, like Joaquim Barroca, as a defendant, the former manager could invoke the secret of justice and choose silence.


In a statement, PSD member Duarte Pacheco acknowledged the lack of information invoked by Vara to make the request but recalled that this situation also affected other former CGD board members and stressed Vara’s memory will be necessary for the hearing.


Vara – who has been in prison since January after being convicted in Face Oculta corruption case – was appointed a CGD board member in 2006.


Of the defendants of this case, Joaquim Barroca and Diogo Gaspar Ferreira have been heard in the committee.


On 29 May it was known that the former prime minister José Sócrates, also accused in the Marquês operation, is to respond in writing to the questions of the committee members.


The 28 persons of interest in the Marquês investigation are Carlos Santos Silva, Henrique Granadeiro, Zeinal Bava, Armando Vara, Barbara Vara, Joaquim Barroca, Helder Bataglia, Rui Mão de Ferro and Gonçalo Ferreira, companies of the Lena group (Lena SGPS, LEC SGPS and LEC SA) and the Society Vale do Lobo Luxury Resort Tour.