Liam Payne's friend issues bombshell statement - 'I never abandoned him - I miss him every day'
Three people have been charged in connection with the death of former One Direction star Liam Payne as Argentine authorities ruled out third party involvement in his fall
Liam Payne's close friend Rogelio 'Roger' Nores has denied abandoning the former One Direction star in the hours leading up to his death.
Roger has reportedly dismissed claims police had raided his home in his native Buenos Aires and says he is not a suspect in the investigation. Three suspects have, though, been arrested in connection with the death of former One Direction star and are now under formal investigation in Argentina. It is believed one of those is a "friend" of the late pop star but their identity is yet to be disclosed.
Liam died after falling from a third-floor balcony of the Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires last month, at the age of 31. The public prosecutor's office in Argentina said one of the people charged who had been accompanying Liam. They are accused of "abandonment of a person followed by death" - which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.
Roger has told reporters this is not him. He said: "I never abandoned Liam, I went to his hotel three times that day and left 40 minutes before this happened."
Speaking to Mail Online, the man's statement added: "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'm really heart-broken with this tragedy, and I've been missing my friend every day."
An employee at the hotel where the Brirish singer was staying and a third person have also been charged with supplying drugs. Meanwhile, prosecutors also ruled out third party involvement and "self-harm" in Liam's death, according to a forensic psychiatric report.
Prosecutors said in a translated statement: "Although other medical background information from the victim's clinical history must still be analysed, the phenomenon of the lack of defence or self-preservation reflex in the fall, together with other relevant data from his consumption, allow us to conclude that Liam Payne was not fully conscious or was experiencing a state of noticeable decrease or loss of consciousness at the time of the fall," prosecutors said in a translated statement."
Liam's body was returned home earlier this week ahead of his funeral, thought to be held on Friday in his home city of Wolverhampton, West Midlands. He died from multiple injuries as well as internal and external bleeding caused by the fall, a post-mortem examination said. His body was found in the hotel's internal courtyard.
But now at least nine raids have been ordered on properties in Buenos Aires and some of Liam's devices are still being analysed, prosecutors said.
Prosecutors added that "exhaustive and meticulous measures were taken to clarify the circumstances" around the former One Direction singer's death. Fans from across the globe held vigils and music stars paid tribute after the tragedy, which happened on Wednesday October 16.
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