Weakened by illness, Pierre Urbain bowed out on Monday evening. The man, in love with his town Boussu, and his football club, Francs Borains, had known a particularly hectic professional career.
After his visit to Boussu as municipal secretary, he had been appointed director general of the city of Mons. However, his visit to the capital of the province of Hainaut had resulted in many legal setbacks. In 2013, he was even suspended by the city, because he had been charged with other people breach of trust, participation in a criminal organization and breaches of legislation on banking intermediation.
In March 2019, he had been found guilty for having misappropriated paintings to the detriment of an elderly lady for whom he had the provisional administration. A one-month suspended prison sentence was pronounced by the Mons criminal court. For the rest of the facts, he had been acquitted.
If he had distinguished himself on the political and legal scenes, Pierre Urbain was also a lover of his football club, the Francs Borains. The club has moreover“> press release following his death: “A behind-the-scenes icon. The Francs Borains have lost a staunch supporter, a long-term leader, an efficient man in the shadows. […] He served the club, his “mistress”, internally as a leader as well as externally to harmonize his club and his city, his two permanent favorites “.
In September 2020, he returned to Boussu as a collaborator. Despite retirement, he ensured another role of coordinator between the mayor and the two directors general. Already affected by the disease before assuming this last function, his state of health had particularly deteriorated in recent weeks, leaving little hope for a possible improvement.