Two men accused of supplying cocaine to British singer Liam Payne before his death in Buenos Aires in 2024 have been released from house arrest but remain under investigation and awaiting trial, local judicial sources reported Thursday.
Brian Nahuel Paiz and Ezequiel David Pereyra had been under house arrest while facing charges related to the alleged supply of narcotics to Payne, the former One Direction singer who died on October 16, 2024 after falling from the third floor of a hotel in the Palermo neighbourhood of Buenos Aires City
The two suspects were released following a court hearing led by Judge Karina Andrade of Buenos Aires City’s Criminal, Misdemeanours and Offences Court No. 15. Their lawyer said they remain formally charged and are still awaiting trial.
Argentina’s Superior Court ruled earlier this month that the case would continue in the capital’s court system following a jurisdictional dispute over whether national or city courts should handle the investigation into the alleged drug supply.
Payne, 31, died from multiple injuries caused by the fall from the hotel balcony, prosecutors said at the time. Toxicology tests later found alcohol, cocaine and prescription medication in his system.
Authorities investigated whether people close to the singer had supplied drugs and whether anyone had abandoned him while he was in a vulnerable state.
The singer had been staying at the Hotel CasaSur in Buenos Aires when staff called emergency services reporting an aggressive guest who appeared to be under the influence of drugs and alcohol shortly before the fall.
His death triggered global tributes and a wide-ranging investigation involving hotel staff, acquaintances and suspected drug suppliers.
An autopsy later confirmed drugs were present in his body and prosecutors charged several people in connection with the case, including individuals accused of supplying narcotics to the musician during his stay in the country.
The trial date for the two suspects has not yet been set.
– TIMES/NA/PERFIL
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