The mother of a man accused of selling drugs to One Direction star Liam Payne has claimed her son is a ‘scapegoat’ and ‘innocent of any wrongdoing.’
Sandra Paiz made the emotional outburst as she was pictured for the first time heading into an Argentine TV studio in Buenos Aires.
Her son Braian Paiz, 24, is one of five people implicated in the death of the pop sensation in a three-storey hotel plunge which shocked the world just three months ago.
Sandra, who was accompanied by her son’s lawyer Fernando Madeo, broke down as she entered the TV complex and told MailOnline: ‘My son did nothing wrong.’
Mr Madeo told MailOnline: ‘For the time being we are not saying anything in detail,’ before going into the studio for an eight-minute TV appearance.
His client Paiz was one of five people charged by a Buenos Aires judge last week following Liam’s death at the Hotel Casa Sur in the suburb of Palermo on October 16.
Hotel employee Ezequiel David Pereyra, has been jointly charged with drug dealing last month by an investigating judge and had initially gone on the run before handing himself in late on Monday night.
His lawyer contacted authorities and gave them an address at which Pereyra had been staying and police arrested him there
They have both been warned they face between four and 15 years in jail if convicted.
The other three people charged include Liam’s factotum while in South America, Roger Nores and hotel receptionist Esteban Grassi.
Casasur’s head of security Gilda Martin is also accused with Nores and Grassi of manslaughter but unlike Paiz they are on bail and not in jail.
Sandra told Argentinian TV: ‘I am his mother, he is the son I raised, I fought for his education that I gave him, and today it hurts me with what they are doing to him.
‘It’s very unfair what is happening to him and I haven’t been able to see him or talk to him, my heart like his must be in terrible pain.
‘I knew my son smoke marijuana joints, but I didn’t know he was involved with cocaine.
‘He has never been in trouble before they are making him. Scapegoat. He’s done nothing wrong. It’s unfair and it hurts. I haven’t even been able to see him yet.’
Paiz was arrested on Friday and is currently being held in a Buenos Aires police station and his lawyer is planning an appeal.
Mr Madeo said: ‘Braian is currently very anguished as any person who has their freedom deprived in an illegitimate way would be.’
Mr Madeo said that Paiz and Payne had a few days before the singer tragically fell to his death from. Balcony at the hotel.
‘He said: ‘My client was a fan of One Direction; he was fond of Liam and he liked him. They met in a restaurant where he worked in the Porto Madero area of the city.
‘They exchanged messages on Instagram and had extensive talks,’ before adding bizarrely: ‘One never speaks with their dealer for long.’
He added: ‘There was no transaction between the two, there was no commercial sale, yes there is a photo of cocaine, but it doesn’t mean Braian offered it for sale to Liam.
‘Based on the photos and chats it’s clear that a drug deal did not take place. I don’t have any doubt that he is being made the victim of a cooked judicial system.
‘It’s a witch hunt that is being carried out by the court investigating the death of Liam Payne.’
He added ‘In the chats between the two, there is no talk about the purchase price or sale o drugs, yes there is a picture of the drugs, but it doesn’t confirm it was sold.
‘According to the file that I have seen, Liam already had drugs in his hotel.’
Paiz has admitted taking drugs with Liam but repeatedly denied claims he sold cocaine to him.
Argentinian prosecutors referred to Liam’s friend Roger Nores in a lengthy statement they released earlier this week as the ‘victim’s representative’ although they identified him only by his initials R.L.N.
Judge Bruniard in her indictment ruling accused the businessman, currently banned from leaving Argentina because of the charges against him, of ‘failing in his duty of care, assistance and help’ towards the singer.
He is also accused of ‘abandoning him to his fate, knowing he couldn’t fend for himself, aware he suffered multiple additions to alcohol and cocaine and fully conscious of the state of intoxication, vulnerably and defenceless he was in.’
Mr Nores told a recent TMZ documentary examining the life and death of Liam Payne that he was ‘in good spirits and perfectly balanced’ the day he died as he refuted claims the singer was acting erratically and was intoxicated shortly before his fatal fall.
The businessman had previously protested his innocence and refuted claims he was Liam’s ‘de facto’ manager.
He said in a statement shortly after it emerged he was being officially investigated before being charged: ‘I never abandoned Liam, I went to his hotel three times that day and left 40 minutes before this happened.
‘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.
‘I’ve given my statement to the prosecutor on October 17 as a witness and I haven’t spoken to any police officer or prosecutor ever since.
‘I wasn’t Liam’s manager. He was just my very dear friend.’
Sources close to US citizen Nores – who is banned from leaving Argentina – said that he was planning an appeal later this week.
