The investigation into Liam Payne's death has taken another turn as charges may be brought against staff at the hotel where the singer died.
It's claimed prosecutors are considering bringing charges against employees at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The One Direction star died on October 16, falling to his death from his balcony room on the third floor of the hotel.
An investigation into the star's tragic death is ongoing after three people were arrested earlier this month. It has been claimed Liam had asked friend Rogelio Nores for four bottles of whisky the night before he died and for five more the next morning.
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A new photo of Liam, perhaps the last picture of him alive, showed him being carried by a group of men in the hotel lobby shortly before he died. The Daily Mail, which published the image captured by CCTV footage, identified one of the men as a hotel spa masseur and the other two as reception staff who included chief receptionist Esteban Grassi.
It's said the photo has raised questions about their decision to take Liam back to his room, which had a balcony, rather than keep an eye on him downstairs while they waited for medical assistance. Police believe the singer was likely in a state of "semi or total unconsciousness" when he died.
Mr Grassi made an urgent 999 call requesting assistance with a guest who he claims was ‘high on drugs’ and damaging everything in his room shortly before Liam's death. He said: “We’re a little bit worried he’ll do something, that he’ll put his life at risk.”
According to TMZ, documents claim Liam had asked friend Rogelio Nores for "six grams" the day of his death as well as five bottles of whisky. Nores is one of three men under formal investigation as part of a criminal probe being led by Buenos Aires-based prosecutors.
Local reports in Argentina say lead prosecutor Andres Esteban Madrea is considering whether to expand the number of suspects following the weekend publication of the pictures of Liam. Argentinian news website Infobae, citing prosecution sources, described it as a “possibility”, adding: “To decide this prosecutors have to finish analysing the hotel front desk computer as well as the employees’ phones.”
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Investigators are looking to determine who supplied Liam with the drugs reportedly found in his system. Nores has denied any involvement in the singer's death. He claims he last saw the star about 40 minutes before his fall and had visited his friend's hotel three times that day.
Nores stated: "I never abandoned Liam. There were over 15 people at the hotel lobby chatting and joking with him when I left. I could have never imagined something like this would happen."
Two other men have also been questioned. These include a 21-year-old hotel worker, and a 24-year-old who worked at a restaurant Liam visited. The same sources said the door of Liam’s hotel room was left ajar when he was helped back to his room rather than being closed, saying staff heard him breaking things because they stayed outside.
The other two men under official investigation, but not yet formally charged, have been named as waiter Braian Nahuel Paiz, 24, and Ezequiel David Pereyra. Pereyra has been identified locally as the hotel worker suspected of delivering drugs to Liam before he died in a Dove soap box.
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