'André H.P. Cools' (
August 1,
1927 –
July 18,
1991) was a
Belgian socialist politician who was
assassinated at
Liège. His
nickname was "''Le maître de
Flémalle''" (Flémalle's master).
While the police was investigating the assassination, several scandals involving André Cools became public (like the
Agusta-affair).
He was Belgian
budget minister from
1968 to
1971, Deputy
Prime Minister from
1969 to
1972, head of the Belgian Socialist Party from
1973 to
1978, head of the
''Parti Socialiste'' from 1978 to
1981, president of the
Walloon Council from
1982 to
1985, and minister of the government of the Walloon Region from
1988 to
1990. He was also given the honorific title of
Minister of State in
1983.
In 2003, a Liege trial started, accusing
Richard Taxquet (former personal chauffeur and secretary for
Alain van der Biest, a Parti Socialiste minister), Giuseppe "Pino" di Mauro, and others of involvement in the Cools murder. In January 2004, Taxquet and di Mauro got sentenced to twenty years imprisonment.
Alain van der Biest, who was briefly incarcerated as a murder suspect, committed suicide in
2002.
Cools was noted for his pithy pronouncements. For example, when in
1984 he commented on who he thought the four greatest
United States'
Presidents had been, he said: '
Roosevelt, Roosevelt, Roosevelt and Roosevelt'.
See also
★
Belgian political scandals
★
Parliamentary inquiries by the Belgian Federal Parliament
Source
★
André Cools (in French)