FORMER UDA 'brigadier' Andre Shoukri has paid tribute to murdered loyalist associate John Boreland describing him as "my friend and brother".
The 46-year-old high profile loyalist was gunned down outside his house in the Sunningdale Gardens area of Ballysillan on Sunday night.
His death is being linked to ongoing tensions within the paramilitary organisation.
Along with Shoukri the father-of three had been expelled from the mainstream UDA in 2006 and later formed an alliance with a break-away faction of the organisation.
A close associate of Shoukri the pair were rarely seen apart and were jailed together on two occasions for extorting money from business people.
In 2008, Andre's brother Ihab died from an accidental overdose shortly after being released from prison on a UDA membership charge.
Andre Shoukri, who was in prison at the time, was granted compassionate parole to attend his brother's funeral. Both he and Boreland were both released from jail in 2010.
In a newspaper obituary notice to his life-long friend Shoukri said: "My heart is broken and I have no words to describe how my life is not going to be the same without you in it. The only peace I will take is that you are with Ihab. I will always cherish our many memories.
"God bless my friend and brother", he added.
A 42-year-old man arrested in connection with the murder on Monday was released unconditionally. The Irish News understands a number of senior loyalists with links to the mainstream UDA have been approached by detectives and asked to account for their movements on Sunday.
Police had previously warned Boreland that he was under threat from rival loyalists. He was thought to have been under surveillance by the killer gang and and was followed after leaving a bar on the Oldpark Road until he stepped out of his Mercedes car at around 9.50pm on Sunday.
He was shot twice in the head with a shotgun and died instantly at the scene. The gunman made his getaway on a motorbike. Two cars, a silver Megane and a black Peugeot were also believed to be used by members of the killer gang.
The Megane was found burnt out on the Seven Mile Straight on the outskirts of Belfast sometime on Sunday.
The funeral of the leading loyalist meanwhile will take place on Saturday at the Moravian Church on the Oldpark Road before burial at Roselawn cemetery. It is expected to be a family funeral with no paramilitary trappings.
