A night worker at the Casa Sur Hotel, who had struck up a close relationship with Liam Payne, is under investigation following the singer's tragic death, according to reports.
Argentinian broadcast journalist, Paula Varela, has claimed on a popular TV show in Argentina that a young employee of the hotel in Buenos Aires, who had become friends with Liam, was the focus of an ongoing investigation, which was trying to establish who supplied the star with the drugs suspected of contributing to his death on October 16.
Speaking on on Socios del Espectaculo, a show broadcast on Buenos Aires-based TV station Canal 13, she said: “There’s a lad who’s being investigated, he was working nights at the hotel. He struck up an excellent relationship with Liam. He disobeyed an order from the hotel management. What was the order he disobeyed? It was not to take anything into Liam’s room."
Paula continued: "Because of the good relationship he had with Liam, he requested a car through one of these taxi apps we all use because Liam wanted something. He did him that favour, a massive error because he’s being investigated, and they’re seeing what was transferred in that vehicle.
“It’s one of the things the investigators are looking at at the moment and obviously this hotel worker has been suspended. He’s a cherished member of staff, a good worker, but he disobeyed an order that could have proved fatal.”
Prosecutors said in a statement after Liam’s death they believed the singer was in “in a state of semi or total unconsciousness" during a substance-induced 'psychotic episode' when he fell.
Investigators have indicated they do not suspect any “third-party” involvement, however there has been speculation that someone from Liam's hotel was supplying him with narcotics.
Argentinian news portal Infobae reported last week forensic experts had discovered traces of cocaine in Liam's body but tests on a white powder pictured in leaked photos showing the inside of his hotel suite after his death had so far proved “inconclusive.”
Other unconfirmed reports originating in the US claimed a cocktail of drugs including designer narcotic pink cocaine containing MDMA, ketamine, methamphetamine had been found in his system during a partial autopsy along with crack cocaine and benzodiazepine.
Last Thursday, Buenos Aires police swooped on the Casa Sur Hotel and were seen going through documents and examining computers in the lobby.
Liam's dad, Geoff, flew to Buenos Aires after learning of the tragedy to try to speed up the repatriation of the singer’s body. However, he was told during a meeting with prosecutor Andres Madrea last Tuesday that will not happen before toxicology and tissue tests are complete.
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