PROSECUTORS have appealed a court decision to drop manslaughter charges against three men over former One Direction singer Liam Payne’s death.
The move was confirmed in a long statement issued late yesterday by Argentina’s Public Prosecutor’s Office.
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Liam’s close friend Rogelio Nores and two workers at the Buenos Aires hotel where the singer died in a drink and drug-fuelled balcony plunge, chief receptionist Esteban Grassi and head of security Gilda Martin, were told on February 19 they were in the clear.
They learnt the news after an appeal by their lawyers against the charges laid against them by a lower court late last December.
Overnight public prosecutors said they were still fighting to get the men to trial as they confirmed new counter-appeals had been lodged.
They also revealed that as well as appealing the decision to clear businessman Mr Nores of manslaughter, they wanted appeal judges to look at their claims he played an active role in supplying Liam, 31 when he died on October 16, with drugs.
Two other men are still in prison on drug charges after being accused of selling him cocaine – former waiter Braian Nahuel Paiz and suspended hotel worker Ezequiel David Pereyra.
Their attempts to secure bail since their incarceration earlier this year have failed and they have been warned they could face between four and 15 years in prison on conviction.
Public prosecutors said they had lodged two separate appeals against the dropping of manslaughter charges to different sets of judges.
It was not immediately clear last night if the appeals are a last throw of the dice and they will have exhausted all avenues if they are rejected.
They accused Nores in their statement, although they only referred to him by his initials, as “cooperating in creating the state that led to the fatal outcome.”
US monthly magazine Rolling Stone is reporting the appeal to overturn the acquittal of Nores and the two hotel workers has already been denied.
But Argentinian public prosecutors made no mention of this whatsoever in their statement released in the last few hours.
