Rogelio 'Roger' Nores - Friend denies abandoning Liam Payne as three charged in connection with his death
Businessman Rogelio 'Roger' Nores said he saw Liam Payne three times on the day he tragically died - and left the Buenos Aires hotel 40 minutes before he fell from the balcony
Liam Payne's friend Rogelio "Roger" Nores has denied being a suspect in the former One Direction star's death and insisted he didn't abandon the singer on the day he tragically fell from his hotel balcony in Argentina.
The Argentinian businessman spoke out as prosecutors said Liam didn't intend to take his own life and revealed that three people have been charged over his death. The public prosecutor's office in Argentina said three people were charged with "abandonment of a person followed by death" and supply and facilitation of narcotics in connection with the death of Liam, who passed away at the age of 31 at Casa Sur Hotel in Buenos Aires on October 16.
But after the news emerged, his friend, Mr Nores, spoke out for the first time and denied claims he was under investigation connected to Liam's death. He declared: "I never abandoned Liam, I went to his hotel three times that day and left 40 minutes before this happened."
In a statement shared with the Daily Mail, Mr Nores 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." He also said he gave his statement to the prosecutor on October 17 - but said he hasn't spoken to any police officer or prosecutor ever since then.
READ MORE: Liam Payne death ruled not to be suicide, Argentina prosecutors say as three arrested
READ MORE: Liam Payne death: Police statement in FULL as three charged in connection with singer's tragic death
Mr Nores, 35, was a friend of Liam - and in his statement, he denied being the singer's manager, calling the former 1D star his "very dear friend". He said he had sent an email to Liam and his team on August 23, alerting them of his concerns over the singer's "wellbeing".
He added: "I'm really heartbroken with this tragedy, and I've been missing my friend every day." Mr Nores is a businessman who made his fortune in the energy industry and, according to Forbes, founded his own investment company at the age of 23.
In 2018, he made it onto Forbes' 30 Under 30 - Energy list as the CEO of StoneWay Capital. In 2022, his company was later acquired by SCC Power. It is believed Mr Nores and Liam met at a house party in London, hosted by Edward Enninful, former editor-in-chief of British Vogue, in 2020.
The pair became close friends and this year, Liam and his girlfriend, Kate Cassidy, moved into a mansion in Palm Beach, Florida, which belonged to one of Mr Nores' friends. Reports say Mr Nores and his girlfriend had joined Liam and Kate at Niall Horan's concert in Buenos Aires just days before the singer's tragic death.
According to Page Six, Mr Nores was working hard to keep Liam clean from drugs. In a note seen by the American publication, Mr Nores emailed Liam Payne's father and his management team in August to express his concerns, as the singer had only been clean for four months.
He said: "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. 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." But he continued: "I'm really concerned for his wellbeing while he is out there and I hope you can 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."
It comes as Argentinian prosecutors probing Liam's death confirmed the arrests of three suspects who are now under formal investigation. They said the crimes werepunishable by a prison sentenceof up to 15 years on conviction. They also confirmed one of the suspects included a hotel worker.
In only their third statement since Liam's death, the public prosecutors revealed only alcohol, cocaine and an anti-depressant were found in the star's system. The long statement, which appeared to also confirm Liam's dad Geoff was told of the proceedings in person, began: "The National Prosecutor's Office for Criminal and Correctional Matters N°14, led by prosecutor Andrés Esteban Madrea, informs, following the lifting of the secrecy of summary proceedings, that within the framework of the investigation into the death of British musician Liam James Payne, which occurred on 16 October when he fell from a balcony in a hotel in the Buenos Aires neighbourhood of Palermo, unlawful conduct was discovered, as a result of which three people were charged with the crimes of abandonment of a person followed by death, supply and facilitation of narcotics.
"From the beginning of the investigation and within a few days, exhaustive and meticulous actions and measures were carried out to clarify the circumstances surrounding the death of the artist. In this sense, several dozen statements were received at the headquarters of the Public Prosecutor's Office including the testimonies of hotel staff, family and friends and medical professionals.
"A detailed analysis of more than 800 hours of video footage from various security cameras in the hotel and others in the street was also carried out, with staff from the prosecutor's office and specialised analysts from the Superintendence of Special Investigations and the Technological Support Division of the City Police, made available from the outset by the Deputy Chief of the City Police, Jorge Guillermo Azzolina."
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