Controversial pop icon Michael Jackson has said the child abuse charges against him are 'flimsy, ridiculous, bogus and malicious'.
Jackson's lawyers took on the prosecution in a Santa Barbara court yesterday. The pop star's lawyer Brian Oxman accused the prosecutors of 'doggedly pursuing the King of Pop despite the weakest of cases'.
He also demanded a reduction in the bail amount asked of Jackson. The court had earlier let off the pop star on an unusually high three-million-dollar bail. Oxman described the bail amount as 'arbitrary discrimination'.
A 32-page document filed in the court revealed that Jackson needed money to finance his defence and business and that he stood to lose more than 70 million dollars if he were to jump bail.
Prosecutors are opposing a bail reduction claiming Jackson could flee the United States and live in exile.
"Michael Jackson, a man with no criminal record and a reputation for contributing to social and humane causes worldwide, has been falsely accused if various acts of child molestation and conspiracy to falsely imprison, abduct and extort," Oxman wrote.
"The charges are outrageous and not supported by competent, credible evidence. Anyone who knows Mr Jackson
quite properly mocks and ridicules these outrageous allegations."
