Argentinian man under investigation over Liam Payne’s death says he is not at fault

Roger Nores (inset) is one of the five individuals under investigation over the death of One Direction star Liam Payne. Photo / Forbes, Getty Images

Roger Nores, a businessman from Argentina and one of the five individuals under investigation over the death of One Direction star Liam Payne, has claimed he was not involved in the tragic incident.

Payne, 31, was staying at the CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires on October 16 when he fell from the balcony of his third-storey hotel room.

The singer died from critical head injuries as a result of the fall.

In an interview with TMZ, Nores has rejected claims that he bore any responsibility and said that Payne was a “very good friend” of his.

Nores and four employees of the hotel are being investigated, although he’d previously denied being a person of interest in the case.

Nores told TMZ that Payne was “playful, happy, and fine” by the time he departed the hotel, an hour before the star fell.

Roger Nores claims Liam Payne was “playful, happy, and fine” one hour before his sudden death. Photo / Getty Images

“He was in good spirits, he was talking to 10 or 15 Americans that were here for a wedding,” Nores said. “He was perfectly balanced, talking to everybody, having fun, laughing, so nothing out of the ordinary. So that’s when I said, ‘bye’.”

Nores said he went to CasaSur Palermo “three times to check on him”, and noted he “seemed tipsy but nothing out of the ordinary”.

However, other eyewitness accounts have claimed the 31-year-old was not “coherent”, and the star appeared to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

There were also reports that Payne texted Nores asking him if he could “get 6 grams” of an unspecified drug, which prosecutors allegedly have.

Those leading the case claim Nores failed in his duty of care to Payne as a friend on the day that he died. Nores was previously alleged to have monitored and controlled Payne’s finances, as well as organised drugs and alcohol for the star during his time in Buenos Aires.

Nores spent time with Payne at multiple points during his stay in Argentina and attended Niall Horan’s concert with him in the country’s capital.

The Argentinian businessman was said to know about Payne’s substance abuse issues, with Page Six reporting that he had contacted Payne’s father and his management team to address it.

Geoff Payne, father of Liam Payne, visits the fan tributes for the late former One Direction member outside CasaSur Palermo Hotel in Buenos Aires. Photo / Getty Images

“Liam stayed at my friend’s ranch down in Palm Beach and since the first day he arrived he was monitored and treated by professional doctors who specialise in addictions,” Nores reportedly wrote in an email.

“He stayed fully clean without access to any hard drug [sic] during his whole stay.

“The plan was for him to work on the preparation for a music tour and stay healthy and busy with work. A plan he successfully followed during his whole stay in the US.”

However, Nores added that he was “really concerned for [Payne’s] wellbeing while he is out there” and suggested they “bring professional doctors to check on his health regularly as soon as possible as I did while he was out in the US.”

“I am going to stay fully out of the picture and disconnected from now on and I wish you all the best with Liam’s health and career,” Nores ended the message with.

Payne’s body was released to his family on November 7 following the completion of toxicology and laboratory tests, with his father flying the star’s body back to the United Kingdom nearly a month after his death.