LONDON, Nov 20: Pop megastar Michael Jackson would testify in person at London’s High Court next week against allegations that he owes a Bahraini prince seven million dollars, his lawyer said on Thursday.

Robert Englehart, representing the “King of Pop”, told the court that Jackson was withdrawing his application to give evidence via videolink from Los Angeles because of health concerns. “He has been cleared by his medical advisers to travel in two days' time,” Englehart said.

Sheikh Abdulla bin Hamad Al Khalifa, second son of the King of Bahrain, is suing cash-strapped Jackson for $7 million, demanding the repayment of several advances which the artist has argued were gifts.

Jackson is expected to give evidence on Monday afternoon, after arriving in Britain over the weekend.

Earlier in the trial, the prince’s lawyer Bankim Thanki said that Jackson signed a contract to record albums, write an autobiography and stage shows, and that document noted that seven million dollars would be deducted from the artist’s royalties to pay for expenses.

The court heard that Jackson visited Bahrain with his children and personal staff in the aftermath of his 2005 child molestation trial, and left in May 2006 to go to Europe and Japan. A month later, Jackson asked Sheikh Abdulla to sign a document releasing him from his obligations under the previous contract a request the prince refused, Thanki said.

According to the sheikh’s lawyer, he helped support Jackson financially after the 2005 trial, including a request for one million dollars in April 2005, and the $2.2-million legal bill for the court case.

Thanki told the court on Monday that Jackson and the sheikh had a “close personal relationship” and even collaborated on a musical project Jackson recorded a song written by the prince which was planned as a charity single. A recording of the song will be played in court during the trial.

Jackson contests the claim, saying the sheikh’s case is based on “mistake, misrepresentation and undue influence”.—AFP