A pair of suspects that were asked to attend questioning regarding One Direction star Liam Payne's death have refused to testify as investigations take place
Two suspects summoned for questioning by the judge investigating Liam Payne’s death have declined to testify.
Alleged dealer Braian Nahuel Paiz and Ezequiel David Pereyra, a former employee at the Buenos Aires hotel where the singer lost his life, said they were “retaining their right to remain silent” during their Zoom quiz yesterday in front of Laura Bruniard.
Braian had told an Argentine TV journalist last month he had consumed marijuana and the former One Direction musician had taken cocaine during a rendezvous at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel where Liam was staying shortly before the singer’s death, but he insisted in his interview with Guillermo Panizza on Telefe Noticias: “I never took drugs to him or accepted any money.”
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Pereyra, 21, identified locally as the hotel worker suspected of delivering drugs to Liam in a Dove soap box, has made no public comment so far since it emerged he had been placed under formal investigation. Argentinian media are reporting the court quizzes will continue and finish tomorrow [19 December] when the singer’s close friend Rogelio ‘Roger’ Nores, hotel chief receptionist Esteban Grassi and head of security Gilda Martin are questioned.
Mr Nores told a TMZ documentary examining the life and death of Liam Payne which aired earlier this week that he was “in good spirits and perfectly balanced” the day he died, as he refuted claims the singer was acting erratically and was intoxicated shortly before his October 16 fatal fall from his third-floor hotel balcony.
The businessman has previously protested his innocence after being named locally as one of the men under investigation.He said in a statement last month: “I never abandoned Liam, I went to his hotel three times that day and left 40 minutes before this happened.
“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. I’ve given my statement to the prosecutor on October 17 as a witness and I haven't spoken to any police officer or prosecutor ever since. I wasn't Liam's manager. He was just my very dear friend."
Mr Grassi and Mr Martin have been identified as two of the three men pictured carrying Liam back up to his room from his hotel lobby shortly before his third-floor balcony plunge in the last harrowing photo of the 31-year-old Brit to emerge.
Public prosecutors in Argentina have yet to make any official comment about the court quizzes that have taken place so far and no more details have emerged about the decision of the first two suspects to stay silent. It was not immediately clear this morning if Mr Paiz would be remanded in custody.
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