Waiter charged over Liam Payne death arrested in Argentina
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Five people have been charged over the pop singer’s death. A waiter charged over the death of pop star Liam Payne has been arrested, according to Argentinian media. Braian Paiz, 24, was one of five people charged over the pop star’s death on Monday (30 December) and was ordered to appear in court.
Payne died aged 31 after falling from the third-floor balcony of his room at the CasaSur Palermo hotel in Buenos Aires on 16 October last year. Paiz and a hotel employee, Ezequiel Pereyra, were charged with supplying drugs on two occasions, an offence that carries a sentence of up to 15 years.
In a TV interview with a local news channel, Paiz admitted to using drugs, including cocaine, with the singer, but insisted he did not supply Payne with the drugs or accept any money from him. Reports also claimed that police raided the home of Pereyra, 21, but did not find him there.
He argued that Paiz posed no flight risk and had in no way hindered the investigation, and that to hold him in pre-trial detention would therefore be unnecessary. Among the other people charged was Argentinian businessman Rogelio Nores, known as “Roger”.
Nores has claimed to have left the CasaSur hotel 40 minutes before Payne’s death and has denied any involvement in the tragedy. He is one of three charged with manslaughter, along with chief receptionist Esteban Grassi and hotel manager Gilda Martin.
According to local reports, they were not being held in custody but have been banned from leaving Argentina. A statement from the judge and public prosecutor that detailed Payne’s final moments before his death said he had been “demanding” drugs and alcohol during his stay at the hotel.
