Five individuals have been implicated in connection with the tragic passing of former One Direction sensation Liam Payne in Argentina, as per a statement issued by local authorities on Monday. The 31-year-old musician met his untimely demise in October following a fatal fall from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires. Judge Laura Bruniard, in a press release, disclosed her decision to proceed with the prosecution of the case, identifying five suspects, including the manager and receptionist of Hotel Casa Sur, along with one of Payne’s acquaintances, Roger Nores, who are facing charges of manslaughter. Additionally, two other employees of the hotel have been accused of drug supply and have been remanded into custody pending further legal proceedings.
Under the legal system in Argentina, defendants possess the right to challenge the accusations leveled against them; nonetheless, should their appeals be unsuccessful, the trial process commences. If found guilty, the accused parties could potentially receive a maximum prison sentence of five years, as reported by the BBC. Notably, the penalties for drug trafficking are considerably harsher in the country, carrying a possible incarceration term ranging from four to fifteen years.
Recent reports from authorities in Argentina revealed that during a toxicology examination, traces of alcohol, cocaine, and a prescription antidepressant were discovered in Payne’s system prior to his demise. The funeral service for the late musician took place in London, England towards the end of November, where his former bandmates from One Direction – Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Louis Tomlinson, and Zayn Malik – all paid their respects in attendance.
Following Payne’s passing, Zayn Malik expressed his heartfelt sentiments towards his departed bandmate, reminiscing, “Liam, I find myself speaking to you out loud, hoping you can somehow hear me. I cannot help but feel a sense of regret, knowing that there were countless conversations left unspoken between us in this lifetime.”
