It was at the wheel of a service car that Jean-Hubert Nicolay, the boss of the Mons-Quévy police, had a driving accident a few days ago, in the entity of Quévy itself. Not a trivial collision since it really went into a barrel. Given the profile of the driver, the only one involved, the report is made by the Boraine police, the neighboring police zone. The breathalyzer carried out on the spot proves negative.
The story might end there except that at the hospital where the divisional superintendent was taken for treatment, a blood test was carried out with a largely positive result this time (we would speak – in the conditional – of a blood alcohol level of 3.06 grams per liter of blood). Questioning, independently of the question of a possible breach of medical secrecy.
No denial from the person concerned, the general inspection requested
That said, this Monday, Jean-Hubert Nicolay was in any case faithful to the post. But radio silence: we were just informed that the person concerned refused to comment. It must be noted, however, that the divisional commissioner does not deny the information published. The question is still to know what he risks, possibly, if the advanced blood alcohol level is indisputable.
On the side of the police council, chaired by the mayor of Mons, Nicolas Martin, we had not initially called a meeting in an emergency. Given that the boss of the police zone was not on duty at the time of his accident, the question is whether a temporary suspension, or even a disciplinary procedure, might be initiated for “misbehavior” once morest the one who took up his duties as head of corps in June 2019.
Finally, this Monday evening, the police college announced in a press release that it had made the decision to initiate proceedings once morest the head of the body. The police college specifies that at this stage it “does not have the results of this blood test”, we read in the press release. But that “given the impact that this information, unverified at this stage, the college has decided to initiate proceedings once morest the head of the body”. The college will “request the general inspectorate of the police in order to launch a preliminary investigation and dispose of all the elements of the file”, the statement continues.
Suspension requested by Georges-Louis Bouchez
In the meantime, the case is already taking a political turn. Indeed, Georges-Louis Bouchez, the president of the MR and group leader Mons better (in opposition to the municipal council), asks for the suspension of Jean-Hubert Nicolay, while an investigation is carried out. He also calls for the rapid convening of a police council as well as the holding of an investigation by Committee P.
Georges-Louis Bouchez who says he is, moreover, circumspect to say the least regarding the fact that the breathalyzer carried out by the Boraine police zone turned out to be negative when the zone chief was clearly under the influence of alcohol.
As for the Public Prosecutor of the King of Mons, he said he was waiting for the report from the Boraine police before initiating any proceedings. But it might take 3-4 weeks.