November 17, 2002	Sunday	Ramazan 11, 1423

SANTA MARIA, Nov 16: Pop star Michael Jackson spent a third day testifying amid a circus-like atmosphere on Friday in a 21 million dollars lawsuit over cancelled millennium concerts — saying that he did not “totally trust” the German promoter who sued him over the aborted shows.

The self-proclaimed King of Pop then stepped off the witness stand, ending — at least for now — the testimony that produced a sensation in the small California town of Santa Maria and offered a rare, up-close glimpse of his off-stage appearance.

Jackson arrived about 20 minutes early for his 9 a.m. court appearance, sporting blue slacks and a black leather jacket with a small US flag patch on the left sleeve. He wore thick red lipstick and eyeliner, but had shaved the stubbly black goatee that was present for the first two days.

As they had for Jackson’s first two appearances at the trial, sheriff’s deputies conducted a lottery to decide which of his fans would get one of the 20 or so seats in the courtroom.

The reclusive entertainer’s appearance at the courthouse in Santa Maria, a small town about 56kms from his Neverland Valley ranch, prompted children to skip school.

Jackson was sued by German promoter Marcel Avram, who claims that the pop star agreed to headline 1999 shows in Seoul and Munich, followed by New Year’s Eve concerts in Australia and Hawaii, but backed out of the millennium events after trying unsuccessfully to renegotiate his contract.—Reuters