Day: July 12, 2006

[b]Forensic accountant challenges plaintiff’s claims against Jackson[/b] By LINDA DEUTSCH, AP Special Correspondent Wednesday, July 12, 2006 (07-12) 12:08 PDT Santa Monica, Calif. (AP) — A forensic accountant hired by Michael Jackson’s lawyer testified Wednesday that a former associate who is now suing the singer used money from a Japanese record production company for the down payment on his own $1.9 million home rather than for the business expenses he claimed. [b] Jan Goren, who showed jurors how he traced millions of dollars through the various bank accounts of F. Marc Schaffel, also said he found no substantiation for a $300,000 payment Schaffel claimed he provided to a mysterious “Mr. X” in South America on Jackson’s behalf.[/b] The testimony was presented as the trial neared the closing arguments phase. Schaffel’s lawsuit claims Jackson owes him $1.6 million for various endeavors he worked on for the pop star. Jackson’s side has sought to show Schaffel enriched himself at the singer’s expense, outweighing any sums that might actually be owed.

[b]Jackson lawyer tries to show ‘pattern of false claims’ in suit[/b] By LINDA DEUTSCH The Associated Press SANTA MONICA Michael Jackson’s attorney called a forensic accountant to the stand Tuesday to try to show that a former associate suing the pop star for $1.6 million deceptively juggled money to enrich himself. Accountant Jan Goren said he was able to trace most of the complicated transactions in a ledger kept by plaintiff F. Marc Schaffel, but could not find that all of the explanations by Schaffel were accurate. Schaffel has brought a complex case involving sums he claims he’s still owed, including royalties from a charity record project and from two video programs about Jackson that aired on Fox, among others. Jackson attorney Thomas Mundell has pointed to a lack of receipts in some cases or called witnesses to broadly undermine the credibility of Schaffel’s claims. Goren, for instance, said a $500,000 transaction Schaffel claimed was a loan to Jackson was not a loan at all.