Unanswered questions from bombshell interview with Liam Payne’s pal who saw him just before fatal fall

A BOMBSHELL interview by Liam Payne’s pal who saw him just before his fatal balcony fall has left several questions unanswered.

Argentinian businessman Roger Nores has insisted he had nothing to do with the One Direction star’s death despite him reportedly being under investigation by cops.

Nores broke his silence over the tragic death of his friend in an interview this week as he revealed all about the hours before the star’s fall.

Liam was “playful, happy and fine” when Nores left him less than an hour before he was found dead in a Buenos Aires hotel in October.

The businessman told TMZ: “He was in good spirits, he was talking to 10 or 15 Americans that were here for a wedding.

“He was perfectly balanced, talking to everybody, having fun, laughing, so nothing out of the ordinary. So that’s when I said, ‘bye’.”

Reports have claimed that Liam appeared to be drunk and causing issues for hotel staff before he returned to his room on his own.

A toxicology report later found that traces of “alcohol, cocaine and prescription antidepressants” had all been found in his system.

Nores confirmed that the 31-year-old was “tipsy” but that his behaviour was “nothing out of the ordinary”.

The pair first grew close in 2020 after they met at a Vogue event in London.

Nores is said to have joined Liam and his girlfriend Kate Cassidy in Argentina in the days prior to the tragedy.

As cops continue to look into the shock death and what may have caused Liam’s fall many have suggested that he wasn’t given enough support on the day he died.

Argentina’s public prosecutor’s office have fuelled these claims with them announcing one of the people they have charged in connection to the death “abandoned” Liam.

They say the individual is accused of “abandonment of a person followed by death”.

It carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison under Argentinian law.

It remains unclear which of the people who have been charged the comments may be about.

Five suspects are currently under investigation over the pop star’s death are set to learn early in the New Year if they will be prosecuted.

Two employees at the Buenos Aires hotel where the 31-year-old singer died joined three other men under official investigation this week.

Liam’s alleged drug dealer Braian Nahuel Paiz and Nores are said to be among the other people cops are looking at.

The third is former hotel worker Ezequiel David Pereyra.

He was perfectly balanced, talking to everybody, having fun, laughing, so nothing out of the ordinary. So that’s when I said, ‘bye’

Roger NoresLiam Payne's pal

In his interview, Nores hit back at any claims suggesting he abandoned Liam by saying he checked on his pal three times before leaving him for the day.

He reiterated that Liam was acting in his usual manner and didn’t appear to be behaving in any way that raised suspicions over his well being.  

The multimillionaire has also previously said: “I never abandoned Liam, I went to his hotel 3 times that day and left 40 minutes before this happened.”

A few days after Liam’s death, officials said that it was likely the former One Direction ace “did not know what he was doing” in the moments before his fatal balcony plunge.

They said this was due to the “state he was in”.

This was later supported by the official police report on his death which said he suffered “catastrophic injuries incompatible with life”.

Liam didn’t “adopt a reflexive posture to protect himself” as he fell, the report added.

Officials said this could be inferred to mean he may have been in a state of semi or even total unconsciousness at the time.

The late singer’s funeral was held back in the UK in the months last month.

His grieving girlfriend Kate Cassidy attended alongside his former bandmates, Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson.

Payne’s ex Cheryl Cole, the mother of their seven-year-old son, Bear, was also in attendance, as well as music mogul, Simon Cowell, whose show the X Factor launched Liam into the stratosphere.

The Sun previously reported that tycoon Roger was “not welcome” at the ceremony.

The probe into his death is still ongoing.

Judge Laura Bruniard his set to decide whether the men under investigation should face criminal charges.

A decision is due to be made after Bruniard receives reports around the phones and computers used by the suspects and witnesses.

Around 22 examinations of different phones and computers confiscated from raids in the area are expected to be completed.

Witnesses include two female escorts Liam spent his last hours with before his drink and drug-fuelled balcony fall.

Bruniard is also hoping to have missing CCTV footage showing the moment the One Direction singer hit the restaurant terrace below his room.