Liam Payne's close pal Rogelio "Roger" Nores, has come forward to clear his name, stating he is not a suspect in the untimely death of the former One Direction star.
Reports have emerged from prosecutors that Liam's fall from his hotel balcony in Argentina was not self-inflicted, leading to the charging of three individuals in relation to the tragic event.
These people are currently facing charges for "abandonment of a person followed by death" and narcotics-related offenses following Liam's passing at just 31-years-old on October 16 at Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires, the Mirror reports.
However, in light of these developments, Mr Nores has made his first public statement, fervently rejecting claims that he is being investigated in connection with Liam's death.
He emphatically stated: "I never abandoned Liam, I went to his hotel 3 times that day and left 40 minutes before this happened."
Sharing further details with the Daily Mail, Mr Nores narrated: "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."
Additionally, he disclosed that although he provided his account to the prosecutor on October 17, he has had no subsequent communications with any police officer or prosecutor since then.
At 35, Mr Nores. was more than just an associate of Liam; in his heartfelt statement, he refuted any claims of managing the former 1D star by calling him a "very dear friend". On August 23, he reached out to Liam and his team through email, raising alarm about the performer's "wellbeing".
In his words: "I'm really heartbroken with this tragedy, and I've been missing my friend every day." As a successful entrepreneur in the energy sector, Mr Nores struck gold early, establishing his own investment firm at the young age of 23.
His business acumen landed him a spot on Forbes' prestigious 30 Under 30 - Energy list by the age of 25 while leading StoneWay Capital as CEO. Come 2022, SCC Power acquired his company.
The origins of his friendship with Liam seem serendipitous — they first crossed paths at a house party in London thrown by Edward Enninful, the ex-editor-in-chief of British Vogue, back in 2020.
Their bond only grew stronger with time and earlier this year, Liam, alongside his partner Kate Cassidy, settled into a Palm Beach mansion owned by one of Mr Nores' acquaintances.
It is reported that Liam and Kate were joined by Mr Nores and his girlfriend for Niall Horan's Buenos Aires show, a mere few days before Liam's untimely passing. Page Six reveals that Mr Nores had been diligently working to help Liam maintain sobriety, having only been drug-free for four months.
Mr Nores even took the step of writing to Liam Payne's father and the management team, highlighting his concerns in a message obtained by the news outlet.
He revealed: "Liam stayed at my friend's ranch down in Palm Beach and since the first day he arrived he was monitored and treated by professional doctors who specialise in addictions. He stayed fully clean without access to any hard drug during his whole stay.
"The plan was for him to work on the preparation for a music tour and stay healthy and busy with work. A plan he successfully followed during his whole stay in the US."
However, he added: "I'm really concerned for his wellbeing while he is out there and I hope you can bring professional doctors to check on his health regularly as soon as possible as I did while he was out in the US. I am going to stay fully out of the picture and disconnected from now on and I wish you all the best with Liam's health and career."
This comes as Argentinian prosecutors investigating Liam's death confirmed the arrests of three suspects who are now under formal investigation. They stated that the crimes were punishable by a prison sentence of up to 15 years upon conviction. They also confirmed one of the suspects included a hotel worker.
In a rare third statement since the demise of Liam, the prosecution team disclosed findings of alcohol, cocaine, and an antidepressant in the musician's system at the time of his death.
The extensive report, which seems to confirm that Liam's father, Geoff, was briefed in person about the case, began: "The National Prosecutor's Office for Criminal and Correctional Matters N°14, led by prosecutor Andrés Esteban Madrea, informs, following the lifting of the secrecy of summary proceedings, that within the framework of the investigation into the death of British musician Liam James Payne, which occurred on 16 October when he fell from a balcony in a hotel in the Buenos Aires neighbourhood of Palermo, unlawful conduct was discovered, as a result of which three people were charged with the crimes of abandonment of a person followed by death, supply and facilitation of narcotics.
"From the beginning of the investigation and within a few days, exhaustive and meticulous actions and measures were carried out to clarify the circumstances surrounding the death of the artist. In this sense, several dozen statements were received at the headquarters of the Public Prosecutor's Office including the testimonies of hotel staff, family and friends and medical professionals."
"A detailed analysis of more than 800 hours of video footage from various security cameras in the hotel and others in the street was also carried out, with staff from the prosecutor's office and specialised analysts from the Superintendence of Special Investigations and the Technological Support Division of the City Police, made available from the outset by the Deputy Chief of the City Police, Jorge Guillermo Azzolina."
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