Jackson hands back passport

Michael Jackson has again surrendered the passport authorities briefly returned to him so he could travel to Britain on business, although there was no indication he ever used it.

Santa Barbara County District Attorney Thomas Sneddon took Jackson’s passport after the singer was charged with child molestation in November.

Sneddon returned it so Jackson could travel to Britain between December 20 and yesterday to meet what the singer said were long-standing contractual obligations.

But two days after the trip was to have begun, the prosecutor demanded that Jackson prove he was travelling or return the passport after he said he heard reports that the star had cancelled his trip.

On December 24 he issued a statement saying the matter had been resolved with Jackson and his lawyer, Mark Geragos.

Sneddon spokeswoman Susan Tellem confirmed that Jackson has returned the passport.

Jackson family friend Brian Oxman said he did not know if Jackson had travelled. But he said one of Jackson’s brothers, Randy Jackson, had told him the commitments in Britain had been cancelled.

At the time of Sneddon’s demand on December 22, Jackson’s then-spokesman, Stuart Backerman, said he believed plans for the trip were still on. Jackson’s new spokesman, Kevin McLin, did not return calls for comment.

Jackson was still in the United States as recently as Christmas Day, when he taped a television interview with 60 Minutes to deny the charges.