Tearful mother of waiter accused of selling cocaine to Liam Payne before star’s fatal hotel balcony fall says her son is a ‘scapegoat’ as she appears on Argentina TV show to defend him

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 first photographed entering an Argentinian TV studio in Buenos Aires.

Her son Braian Paiz, 24, is one of five people linked to the pop sensation’s death during a three-story hotel dive that 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 has done nothing wrong.’

Mr Madeo told MailOnline: “For now we are not saying anything in detail,” before heading into the studio for an eight-minute TV appearance.

His client Paiz was one of five people charged by a judge in Buenos Aires last week after Liam’s death at Hotel Casa Sur in the Palermo suburb on October 16.

Hotel employee Ezequiel David Pereyra was co-indicted by an investigating judge last month for drug trafficking and initially went on the run before turning himself in late Monday evening.

His lawyer contacted authorities and gave them an address where Pereyra had been staying, and police arrested him there

They have both been warned that they could face between four and 15 years in prison if convicted.

The other three defendants include Liam’s factotum while in South America, Roger Nores and hotel receptionist Esteban Grassi.

Casasur’s head of security, Gilda Martin, is also charged with manslaughter along with Nores and Grassi, but unlike Paiz, they are out on bail and not in jail.

Sandra told Argentine television: “I am his mother, he is the son I raised, I fought for his education that I gave him, and today it hurts me what they are doing to him.

‘It is very unfair what is happening to him and I have not been able to see him or talk to him, my heart, like his, must be in terrible pain.

“I knew my son smoked marijuana joints, but I didn’t know he was involved with cocaine.

“He’s never had any trouble before they arrested him. Scapegoat. He hasn’t done anything 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 at a police station in Buenos Aires. His lawyer is considering appealing.

Mr Madeo said: ‘Braian is in great anguish at the moment, as is any person whose liberty is unlawfully deprived.’

Mr Madeo said Paiz and Payne had a few days before the singer tragically died. Balcony at the hotel.

“He said, ‘My client was a fan of One Direction; he adored Liam and he liked him. They met at a restaurant where he worked in the Porto Madero district of the city.

“They exchanged messages on Instagram and had extensive conversations,” before bizarrely adding, “You never speak to 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 that doesn’t mean Braian offered it for sale to Liam.

‘Based on the photos and chats, it is clear that no drug deal took place. I have no doubt that he will be the victim of a cooked justice system.

‘It is a witch hunt being carried out by the court investigating the death of Liam Payne.’

He added: ‘The discussions between the two do not discuss the purchase price or sale of medicines. There is a photo of the drugs, but it does not confirm that they have been sold.

“According to the file I saw, Liam already had drugs in his hotel.”

Paiz has admitted to using drugs with Liam, but repeatedly denied selling cocaine to him.

Argentine prosecutors called Liam’s boyfriend Roger Nores the “victim’s representative” in a lengthy statement they released earlier this week, though they identified him only by his initials RLN

In his indictment, Judge Bruniard accused the businessman, who is currently banned from leaving Argentina due to the charges against him, of “failing in his duty of care, assistance and assistance” to the singer.

He is also accused of “abandoning him to his fate, knowing that he could not care for himself, being aware that he had used alcohol and cocaine on several occasions and being fully aware of the state of intoxication, vulnerable and defenseless in which he was.’

Mr. Nores told a recent TMZ documentary about the life and death of Liam Payne that he was “in good spirits and perfectly balanced” the day he died, as he refuted claims that the singer was behaving erratically and was drunk shortly before his fatal fall.

The businessman had previously protested his innocence and refuted claims that he was Liam’s ‘de facto’ manager.

He said in a statement shortly after it emerged he was under official investigation 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 more than 15 people in the hotel lobby talking and joking with him when I left.

‘I could never have imagined something like this would happen.

“I gave my statement to the prosecutor as a witness on October 17 and I have not spoken to any police officer or prosecutor since then.

‘I wasn’t Liam’s manager. He was just my dear friend.”

Sources close to US citizen Nores – who is banned from leaving Argentina – said he is planning an appeal later this week.