Jackson video ‘not scripted for family’

THE man who recorded a video featuring the family of Michael Jackson’s young accuser testified yesterday at the popstar’s child molestation trial that he did not see them reading or rehearsing from a script.

The testimony of Hamid Moslehi did not support an account by the boy’s mother, who alleges she was forced to closely follow a script praising Jackson as part of a scheme in which her family was held captive to get their help in rebutting a damaging TV documentary about Jackson.

Mr Moslehi testified the boy, his brother and sister were at his house for two or three hours before the taping began and he saw them playing but not rehearsing. He said the mother was there for about an hour before the taping and that he did not see her reading or rehearsing either.

Mr Moslehi, Jackson’s former filmmaker, also said he did not see anyone coaching the mother as she applied her make-up for the taping in his bathroom.

Mr Jackson is accused of molesting a 13-year-old boy in early 2003, giving him alcohol, and conspiring to hold his family captive to get them to rebut the TV documentary Living With Michael Jackson.