The investigation into late British singer’s Liam Payne's death at a Palermo hotel has taken a new turn, with two additional suspects charged and several others ordered to give testimony.
Judge Laura Bruniard ordered that three individuals be summoned for questioning. They are businessman Rogelio Nores, under investigation for abandonment of a person leading to death, Waiter Braian Paiz, who met the late British singer during his time in Buenos Aires, and another hotel employee, Ezequiel Pereyra.
Prosecutors believe Paiz and Pereyra provided drugs to Payne.
The former One Direction singer died on October 16 aged just 31 after falling from the balcony of his room at the Casa Sur hotel in Palermo.
He died from "multiple traumas" and "internal and external haemorrhaging" after the fall from the hotel room, a post-mortem examination found.
Payne, 31, consumed cocaine, alcohol and a prescription antidepressant before falling to his death.
Hotel staff had called emergency services twice to report a guest "overwhelmed by drugs and alcohol" who was "destroying" a hotel room.
Investigators have said he was alone at the time and appeared to have been "going through an episode of substance abuse.”
Earlier this week, the Hotel CasaSur's head of security, Esteban Reynaldo Grassi, and hotel manager Gilda Martín — who were both present on the day of the singer's death — have also been placed under investigation and summoned for questioning.
Grassi was the one who made the 911 call reporting that the British musician was behaving erratically and requested the help of the emergency services.
The suspects' statements will be taken via videocall between December 17 and 19. The singer's family, acting as plaintiffs in the case, will be represented by lawyers from the Marval, O'Farrell & Mairal law firm.
Judge Bruniard has also requested that Buenos Aires City Police continue analysing electronic devices seized in the case and ordered the unlocking of the phones belonging to Nores, Paiz, and Pereyra.
She also ordered an examination of devices seized from one of the sex workers who was allegedly with Payne in his room in the hours leading up to his death.
Various devices confiscated from a polo club in General Rodríguez, where Payne spent the first days of October, will also be analysed.
After the round of questioning, the judge handling the case will decide whether to formally indict the accused individuals and whether to impose pre-trial detention.
– TIMES/NA/AFP
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