A renowned Hlotse entrepreneur who fatally shot his friend and business associate over a business deal that went sour briefly appeared before the Leribe Magistrate’s Court on murder charges on Tuesday.

The accused allegedly shot dead his friend on Sunday before handing himself over to the Hlotse Police.

He is currently being detained at the Hlotse Prison facility where he is awaiting bail.
Preliminary investigations show that the deceased – who owned among others a chain of stores called Phoka Quality Shoes in Hlotse, Butha-Buthe and Maseru - had allegedly sold on credit a truck to the accused who lives in Amerika, Hlotse.

The two men’s friendship was allegedly strained after the accused defaulted on his payment but kept using the truck for his business errands.

Police reports show that last week Thursday, the deceased met the truck somewhere in Hlotse and he seized it by force from its driver who later reported the incident to his boss.