Five people have been indicted over the death of British singer Liam Payne, who fell to his death from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires back in October, prosecutors confirmed Monday.
Three of the five have been charged with manslaughter and the other two with supplying the former One Direction pop star with illegal drugs, a statement from the Public Prosecutor's Office said, identifying the suspects only by their initials.
The latter two – identified in local media as Braian Paiz and Ezequiel Pereyra – have been ordered to present themselves before the authorities within 24 hours to be taken into custody, but the others have been allowed to remain free.
The decision was made by Criminal and Correctional Court No. 34, headed by Judge Laura Graciela Bruniard, according to the statement.
Payne died on October 16 after falling from the balcony of his third-floor room at the Casa Sur Hotel in the Argentine capital.
His death at age 31 prompted a global outpouring of grief from family, former bandmates, fans and others, with thousands gathering in cities around the world to offer their condolences.
The individuals charged with manslaughter are a representative of the singer who was travelling with him, a woman managing the hotel where Payne died, and the head of its reception desk, the prosecutors said.
Local media identified the former as Rogelio Nores, an Argentine businessman and a friend of Payne. He has been banned from leaving the country, though he will not be remanded in custody, the prosecutor's office said. Nores had been helping Payne renew his US visa.
The two hotel employees were named as Gilda Martín and Esteban Grassi.
Prosecutors said last month that Payne had consumed cocaine, alcohol and a prescription anti-depressant before falling to his death.
The pop star had spoken publicly about struggling with substance abuse and coping with fame from an early age.
Back in November, local officials revealed initial charges against three people in the death of Payne. Monday's decision means that five will now likely go on to face trial.
One of the highest-grossing live acts in the world in the 2010s, One Direction went on indefinite hiatus in 2016. Payne went on to enjoy a degree of solo success but his career had languished recently.
The singer's death prompted a debate about whether the music industry has a duty of care for the mental health of stars who find fame at a young age.
The singer from Wolverhampton in central England first auditioned for the hugely popular television talent show The X Factor at the age of 14 but was unsuccessful.
Two years later he hit gold on the programme, which teamed him up with Niall Horan, Harry Styles, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik to form One Direction.
Over the next six years, the group enjoyed global fame and legions of screaming fans, selling more than 70 million copies of their five albums. They went on four world tours and won nearly 200 awards.
Payne is survived by a seven-year-old boy, Bear, with Girls Aloud star Cheryl Tweedy.
– TIMES/AFP/NA
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