Madani Bouhouche
Encyclopedia
Madani Bouhouche was a former Belgian
gendarme
with the Belgian Gendarmerie
, convicted in 1995 for various crimes, including two murders.
, son of an Algeria
n father and Belgian
mother. He started his police career with the Bijzondere Opsporings Brigade (BOB), a special investigative branch of the Gendarmerie, the former federal police of Belgium. Soon after joining the BOB, Bouhouche developed illegal activities with other gendarmes of the BOB. One of them, Robert Beijer, later set up a private detective bureau with Bouhouche in 1983, the Agence de Recherches et d'Informations.
weapons engineer and sales manager for Latin America
. Bouhouche was released in November 1988. After a diamond dealer in Antwerp was murdered in 1989, Bouhouche was again arrested. Bouhouche was convicted of this murder in 1995, receiving a 20-year sentence. His accomplice, Robert Beijer, received fourteen years. In that trial they were also convicted of murdering a security guard in 1982. The trial took more than five months, and was one of the longest in Belgian history.
Some people have claimed that Bouhouche and Beijer were part of the Nivelles gang, also called the Tueurs du Brabant Wallon, but both have always denied this.
Pyrenees
, living isolated in the small city of Fougax-et-Barrineuf
, being responsible for a rental accommodation of an old friend, Alain Weykamp.
He died in November 2005, decapitated by a piece of wood while cutting a tree with a chainsaw in his garden. The French police knew nothing of his criminal past, and allowed his body to be cremated. Bouhouche's death only became known in Belgium when the investigative team of the Nivelles gang looked into his records as a previous suspect.
After his death, an investigative team looked through the home where Bouhouche lived, finding a Remington
riot gun
. Because the Nivelles gang also used riot guns, a ballistics
test was performed (The gang used Winchester
riot guns, which accept the same ammunition). Weapons experts concluded in June 2006 that the Remington riot gun was not used in the Nivelles gang attacks.
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
gendarme
Gendarmerie
A gendarmerie or gendarmery is a military force charged with police duties among civilian populations. Members of such a force are typically called "gendarmes". The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary describes a gendarme as "a soldier who is employed on police duties" and a "gendarmery, -erie" as...
with the Belgian Gendarmerie
Belgian Gendarmerie
The Gendarmerie was the former paramilitary police force of Belgium. The Gendarmerie became a civilian police organisation in 1992, a status retained until January 1, 2001, when it was, together with the other existing police forces in Belgium, abolished and replaced by the Local Police and...
, convicted in 1995 for various crimes, including two murders.
Life and career
Madani "Dany" Bouhouche was born in BrusselsBrussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, son of an Algeria
Algeria
Algeria , officially the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria , also formally referred to as the Democratic and Popular Republic of Algeria, is a country in the Maghreb region of Northwest Africa with Algiers as its capital.In terms of land area, it is the largest country in Africa and the Arab...
n father and Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
mother. He started his police career with the Bijzondere Opsporings Brigade (BOB), a special investigative branch of the Gendarmerie, the former federal police of Belgium. Soon after joining the BOB, Bouhouche developed illegal activities with other gendarmes of the BOB. One of them, Robert Beijer, later set up a private detective bureau with Bouhouche in 1983, the Agence de Recherches et d'Informations.
Arrests and trials
Bouhouche was first arrested in January 1986 as a suspected murderer of Juan Mendez, a FNFabrique Nationale de Herstal
Fabrique Nationale d'Herstal — self identified as FN Herstal and often referred to as Fabrique Nationale or simply FN — is a firearms manufacturer located in Herstal, Belgium....
weapons engineer and sales manager for Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
. Bouhouche was released in November 1988. After a diamond dealer in Antwerp was murdered in 1989, Bouhouche was again arrested. Bouhouche was convicted of this murder in 1995, receiving a 20-year sentence. His accomplice, Robert Beijer, received fourteen years. In that trial they were also convicted of murdering a security guard in 1982. The trial took more than five months, and was one of the longest in Belgian history.
Some people have claimed that Bouhouche and Beijer were part of the Nivelles gang, also called the Tueurs du Brabant Wallon, but both have always denied this.
Post-parole life and death
On September 15, 2000, Bouhouche was freed on parole. He moved to the FrenchFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Pyrenees
Pyrenees
The Pyrenees is a range of mountains in southwest Europe that forms a natural border between France and Spain...
, living isolated in the small city of Fougax-et-Barrineuf
Fougax-et-Barrineuf
Fougax-et-Barrineuf is a commune in the Ariège department in southwestern France.-Population:-References:*...
, being responsible for a rental accommodation of an old friend, Alain Weykamp.
He died in November 2005, decapitated by a piece of wood while cutting a tree with a chainsaw in his garden. The French police knew nothing of his criminal past, and allowed his body to be cremated. Bouhouche's death only became known in Belgium when the investigative team of the Nivelles gang looked into his records as a previous suspect.
After his death, an investigative team looked through the home where Bouhouche lived, finding a Remington
Remington Arms
Remington Arms Company, Inc. was founded in 1816 by Eliphalet Remington in Ilion, New York, as E. Remington and Sons. It is the oldest company in the United States which still makes its original product, and is the oldest continuously operating manufacturer in North America. It is the only U.S....
riot gun
Riot gun
A riot gun or less-lethal launcher is a type of firearm that is used to fire "non-lethal" ammunition for the purpose of suppressing riots. Less-lethal launchers may be special purpose firearms designed for riot control use, or standard firearms, usually shotguns and grenade launchers, adapted to...
. Because the Nivelles gang also used riot guns, a ballistics
Ballistics
Ballistics is the science of mechanics that deals with the flight, behavior, and effects of projectiles, especially bullets, gravity bombs, rockets, or the like; the science or art of designing and accelerating projectiles so as to achieve a desired performance.A ballistic body is a body which is...
test was performed (The gang used Winchester
Winchester Repeating Arms Company
The Winchester Repeating Arms Company was a prominent American maker of repeating firearms, located in New Haven, Connecticut. The Winchester brand is today used under license by two subsidiaries of the Herstal Group, Fabrique Nationale of Belgium and the Browning Arms Company of Morgan, Utah.-...
riot guns, which accept the same ammunition). Weapons experts concluded in June 2006 that the Remington riot gun was not used in the Nivelles gang attacks.