Is it just me, or does Michael Jackson seem to have a habit of getting ill whenever his legal disputes head to court? Perhaps it is just me. Either way, the lawyers of former Jacko friend and business partner Sheikh Abdulla Bin Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa say they are "rightly sceptical" of claims by the singer's legal people that their client is not well enough to testify in the previously reported breach of contract dispute being heard in the London High Court.
As previously reported, Sheikh Abdulla, the son of the King of Bahrain, is suing Jackson over allegations of breach of contract and unpaid loans. Abdulla befriended Jackson after his high profile child abuse trial, and in the month's after Jacko's acquittal he lived in Bahrain. During that time Abdulla and Jackson set up a company which planned to release a new album from the singer (possibly with songwriting contributions by the Sheikh) as well as an autobiography and stage play.
The business venture, though, came to nothing. Abdulla claims Jackson reneged on contractual obligations when he returned to the US, and is also demanding the return of loans given to the singer to cover his living, travel and legal costs after the trial. Jacko claims he never agreed to any business deal, that a contract he signed was done so under false pretences, and that the loans were actually gifts.
The dispute reached the London courts this week, though the case came to a halt yesterday over the issue of whether Jackson could be forced to testify. Jacko's people presented a letter from his doctors saying he was not fit enough to travel to London and, pending test results, may not be fit enough to testify at all (ie not even by video link from the US). The specifics of the singer's ill health are not known, though Abdulla's people argued Jackson could travel to London if "suitable dressings" were applied.
Having read the doctor's note, the judge hearing the case said that Jackson "may or may not have a condition" and that his doctors were waiting test results. The case has been postponed until Thursday to allow said results to be delivered and analysed.
The Shiekh's people weren't impressed arguing that the results for the kind of medical tests Jackson had undergone should be available in 48 hours - he had the tests ten days ago. They said they were "rightly sceptical" about the reasons given for Jackson's unwillingness to testify.
When the case returns to court on Thursday Abdulla himself is expected to take to the witness stand, as is the Jacko's former nanny Grace Rwaramba, who is expected to speak in the singer's defence.