Godwin ObajeTwo Men to Face Trial Over Alleged Drug Supply in Liam Payne Death Case
Two men accused of supplying cocaine to Liam Payne in the hours before his tragic death are set to stand trial, Argentinian prosecutors have confirmed.
Waiter Braian Nahuel Paiz, 25, and former hotel employee Ezequiel David Pereyra, 24, are alleged to have sold the former One Direction singer the drugs at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires, where Payne died after falling from a third-floor balcony in October last year.
The pair have been held in custody since January and, if convicted, could face up to 15 years in prison for drug-related offences. Although a trial date has not yet been set, prosecutors have outlined details of the charges and toxicology findings.
A statement from Argentina’s public prosecution service revealed that Payne met Paiz while dining at a restaurant in the Puerto Madero district. Pereyra was working at the hotel where the singer was staying.
The prosecution stated: “The autopsy showed Liam’s death was caused by polytrauma and internal and external haemorrhaging. It was also determined he had ethyl alcohol in a concentration of up to 2.7 grams per litre, as well as cocaine, methylecgonine, benzoylecgonine, cocaethylene and sertraline.”
Medical experts confirmed that Payne had ingested cocaine both nasally and by smoking, and that the drug consumption occurred as recently as minutes before his death.
Three other individuals initially charged in the case—including a hotel receptionist, the head of security, and a close friend of Payne—had the accusations against them dropped following a court appeal earlier this year.
Despite facing trial, Paiz has consistently denied selling drugs to Payne. Speaking from his jail cell in a Buenos Aires police station during an interview with local media outlet Infobae, he said: “I don’t know what I’m doing here, I’m a good person. I shared drugs with Liam, but I didn’t sell them.”
Describing himself as a recreational drug user, Paiz claimed that his involvement with Payne was social, not criminal: “I started smoking marijuana when I was younger. I just wanted to go back to studying and working like I was doing before.”
He also expressed regret over his initial contact with the pop star: “I regret now giving Liam my Instagram because it all spiralled from there. If I hadn’t, I’d probably still be working today. I’d be studying, making videos. Before meeting Liam, I was involved in filming a music video for YouTube and other TV projects.”
Paiz added: “I miss the freedom I had. I miss work, I miss my family, my mum and my sisters.”
Liam Payne, 31, rose to global fame as a member of One Direction and later launched a solo music career. His sudden death shocked fans worldwide and sparked tributes from the music industry, including a poignant moment of remembrance at the BRIT Awards.
Godwin Obaje
admin
