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Murder of André Cools

SOLVED1991Liège, Belgium3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
File:Andre Cools.jpg
File:Andre Cools.jpg — Credit: User Mario scolas on fr.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 2.0

André Cools was a senior Belgian politician and one of the leading figures of the Walloon Socialist Party (Parti Socialiste, PS) in the Liège region. He was assassinated in 1991, and the investigation into his killing later uncovered widespread graft within Belgium's two socialist parties, French-speaking and Flemish-speaking alike.

Cools held a long series of national and regional offices. He served as Belgium's budget minister from 1968 to 1971 and as Deputy Prime Minister from 1969 to 1972. Within the PS, he led the Walloon section from 1973 to 1978 and chaired the national party from 1978 to 1981. He was later president of the Walloon Council from 1982 to 1985 and a minister in the government of the Walloon Region from 1988 to 1990, and in 1983 he was given the honorific title of Minister of State. In 1990, Cools retired from the national political scene after an internal power struggle within the PS, though he remained influential in the local party in Liège. At the municipal level, he was mayor of Flémalle-Haute from 1964 to 1977 and, after a merger of municipalities, of Flémalle itself from 1977 until his death; the position earned him the nickname 'Le maître de Flémalle' ('Master of Flémalle').

Cools was shot and killed in Liège on 18 July 1991, at the age of 63. The investigation into his assassination went on to expose a series of political scandals touching both the French-speaking and Flemish-speaking socialist parties, including the Agusta affair.

In 2003, a trial opened in Liège against several people accused of involvement in the killing. Among the defendants were Richard Taxquet, a former personal chauffeur and secretary to a Parti Socialiste minister, and Giuseppe "Pino" di Mauro; the source record does not identify the other defendants by name. In January 2004, Taxquet and di Mauro were convicted and sentenced to twenty years' imprisonment each.

Key facts

Victims
André Cools
Date
1991
Location
Liège, Belgium
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 1927-08-01

    André Cools is born.

  2. 1964

    Cools becomes mayor of Flémalle-Haute, a position he holds until 1977.

  3. 1977

    Following a merger of municipalities, Cools becomes mayor of the newly merged Flémalle, a position he holds until his death.

  4. 1978

    Cools becomes chairman of the national Parti Socialiste, a position he holds until 1981.

  5. 1990

    Cools retires from the national political scene after an internal power struggle within the Parti Socialiste, though he remains influential in the local party in Liège.

  6. 1991-07-18

    Cools is shot and killed in Liège at the age of 63.

  7. 2003

    A trial opens in Liège accusing Richard Taxquet, Giuseppe "Pino" di Mauro, and others of involvement in the killing.

  8. 2004-01

    Taxquet and di Mauro are convicted and sentenced to twenty years' imprisonment each.

Best coverage

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People

  • André Cools

    VICTIM

    Belgian politician and senior figure of the Walloon Socialist Party (PS); shot and killed in Liège on 18 July 1991.

  • Giuseppe "Pino" di Mauro

    CONVICTED

    Convicted in January 2004 and sentenced to twenty years' imprisonment for involvement in the killing.

  • Richard Taxquet

    CONVICTED

    Former personal chauffeur and secretary to a Parti Socialiste minister; convicted in January 2004 and sentenced to twenty years' imprisonment for involvement in the killing.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Archival records

  • File:Andre Cools.jpg

    portrait victim

    File:Andre Cools.jpg

    Credit: User Mario scolas on fr.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Source

Places

Liège, Belgium

50.6326, 5.5797

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
André Cools, a leading Belgian socialist politician and mayor of Flémalle, was shot dead in Liège on 18 July 1991. A 2003 trial in Liège led to the conviction of two men, who were sentenced to twenty years' imprisonment in January 2004.
Where did the murder happen?
Liège, Belgium.
Who was convicted?
Giuseppe "Pino" di Mauro (Convicted in January 2004 and sentenced to twenty years' imprisonment for involvement in the killing.) and Richard Taxquet (Former personal chauffeur and secretary to a Parti Socialiste minister; convicted in January 2004 and sentenced to twenty years' imprisonment for involvement in the killing.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.
More cases in Belgium

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDICAndré CoolsWikipedia · 2026-07-12
  2. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — idref.fridref.fr · 2026-07-12
  3. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — catalogue.bnf.frcatalogue.bnf.fr · 2026-07-12

Record history

First published
JUL 13, 2026