Man on the run in Liam Payne death investigation is named as he 'remains a fugitive'

Braian Paiz was arrested last night after being accused of selling drugs to Liam Payne, however, co-accused Ezequiel David Pereyra, 21, is still on the run from authorities

A man wanted in connection with the death of Liam Payne remains on the run.

Police were said to be searching for a second man accused of selling Liam Payne drugs after arresting waiter Braian Paiz. An arrest warrant was reportedly issued for Ezequiel David Pereyra, 21, who failed to appear in court for preventive detention.

According to Argentinian news website Infoabae, police visited Pereyra's home on the outskirts of Buenos Aires to execute the court order, but he was not present and "remains a fugitive." There has been no official comment from court officials or prosecutors.

Earlier, Paiz's lawyer Fernando Madeo confirmed his client's arrest, a week after judge Laura Bruniard charged him with selling Liam drugs before the singer's fall from the third floor of the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires on October 16. In a dramatic twist, both men were given just 24 hours to turn themselves in for a stretch behind bars, but Paiz was only caught today by Buenos Aires' Special Investigations Division.

Insider sources have spilled to the Argentinian press that Pereyra's capture is on the horizon. The country's major daily newspaper, La Nacion, has reported online that Pereyra tried to dodge jail with a request on Monday, but prosecutor Andrea Madrea and the judge swatted it down, sparking an order for his arrest, reports the Mirror.

Braian Nahuel Paiz had earlier been arrested(Image: Telefe Noticias/Youtube)

Prosecutors have clocked the drug deals at 3.25am on October 15 and a further rendezvous "between 3.30pm and 4pm" on October 16 for Pereyra, while Paiz's transactions are pinned at 3.24am and "between 10.03 and 10.44" on October 14. They claim Liam Payne visited Paiz’s home for a narcotic pick-up after a nearly five-hour meeting in the former 1D star's hotel suite from 3.25am to 8.15am.

Cops say witness accounts and CCTV put Pereyra in hot water, allegedly pocketing $100 dollars from Liam for drug runs and coordinating another score which the singer sent a car to retrieve. The accused duo could be looking at a stretch of four to 15 years if they're found guilty.

Earlier today talk emerged about Paiz's lock-up location being aired out. Lawyer Madeo slammed the charges against his client as "impossible" following Liam's tragic death in a hotel, saying his client was caught up in a "witch hunt".

He blasted the rush to find culprits, compromising constitutional rights and resulting in false accusations: "They want to look for culprits at any price, violating constitutional rights and guarantees and forming a 'truth' which turns out to false as is the case here, accusing innocent people of crimes they haven't committed."

Madeo also hit back at media claims that his client dodged testifying, clarifying: "We presented a very long statement in which we addressed all the issues and the false accusations against Braian and we have explained everything from his point of view."

Although Paiz admitted to using drugs with Liam on that fateful night, he firmly denied selling drugs to him.

Paiz denies having sold drugs to Liam on the night of his death(Image: Getty Images)

Yet reports from Todo Noticias suggest court documents indicated the waiter confessed to giving Liam drugs, but he maintained it was a gift, not a sale. Madeo highlighted the judge's accusation concerning his client dealing drugs as completely baseless during an Argentinian TV interview: "It's absurd, it's not been proved and it's not going to be proven because it's not true."

The controversy continues as three other men have also been indicted, including Liam's pal Roger Nores.

Hotel receptionist Esteban Grassi and the hotel's head of security Gilda Martin have been charged with manslaughter but are free while their prosecution continues. They face between one and five years in prison if convicted, although they could be eligible for suspended sentences.

Judge Laura Bruniard criticised the hotel chiefs for moving Liam from the lobby to his third-floor room when he was unable to stand due to a previous drink and drug binge, stating it "created a legally unacceptable risk to his life" with "foreseeable" consequences. Argentinian prosecutors referred to Liam's friend Roger Nores as the "victim's representative" in a statement released earlier this week, although they only identified him by his initials R. L. N.

The investigation into Liam Payne's death remains ongoing(Image: AFP via Getty Images)

The judge accused the businessman, currently banned from leaving Argentina due to the charges against him, of "failing in his duty of care, assistance and help" towards the singer and "abandoning him to his fate, knowing he couldn't fend for himself, aware he suffered multiple addictions to alcohol and cocaine and fully conscious of the state of intoxication, vulnerability and defencelessness he was in."

Mr Nores told a recent TMZ documentary examining the life and death of Liam Payne that he was "in good spirits and perfectly balanced" the day he died, refuting claims the singer was acting erratically.

The businessman had previously denied any wrongdoing and rejected claims that he was acting as Liam's de facto manager. In a statement released after it emerged he was under investigation, he said: "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."