Diddy contacted possible witnesses from prison, according to the prosecution.
Prosecutors have accused Sean “Diddy” Combs of violating prison regulations by reaching out to possible witnesses in his impending sex trafficking trial.
By using the phone numbers of other prisoners and making three-way calls to those who are not on his list of authorised contacts, the music mogul is alleged to have made “relentless efforts” to “corruptly influence witness testimony.”
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In a court filing, prosecutors claimed that an examination of taped conversations also revealed that Mr. Combs gave his family instructions to get in touch with possible witnesses in his case.
The musician, who is best known for 1990s singles including “I’ll Be Missing You” and “Mo’ Money, Mo’ Problems,” has been denied bail ever since his arrest. Several judges have cited the possibility that he could interfere with witnesses.
Last Monday, his solicitors submitted a second bail request, offering a $50 million (£39.6 million) package that would place Mr Combs under house arrest and 24/7 security monitoring.
Attorney Alexandra Shapiro contended that the singer was unable to study for the trial from incarceration due to the “incredibly voluminous” amount of material that needed to be reviewed, particularly in the absence of a laptop computer.
She added that jail conditions, such as frequent lockdowns and police removing the pens he uses to take notes, have made it difficult for him to prepare.
According to Shapiro, Mr. Combs’ rights under the US Constitution are being violated by his detention, which is denying him “any real opportunity” to be prepared for trial.
The celebrity was charged in court filings with planning social media posts to “influence a potential jury pool” at his trial.
As part of their efforts, they referenced an Instagram post made by a woman who was only identified as “witness two,” which refuted claims made by singer Dawn Richard in a legal dispute against Mr. Combs.
Her statement was allegedly written with Mr. Combs over “many texts” and “many calls” from the prison, according to the prosecution.
A “strong inference” that Mr. Combs “paid witness two after she posted her statement,” they added.
Additionally, a video uploaded by the celebrity’s seven kids on November 5th was referenced as proof of a “public relations strategy to influence this case.”
Several media sources covered the footage, which showed the family calling Mr. Combs in prison and wishing him a happy birthday.
In order to make sure the video had the intended impact on prospective jurors in this instance, the defendant “then monitored the analytics – i.e. audience engagement – and explicitly discussed with his family,” according to the prosecution.
In addition, Mr. Combs was charged with violating prison rules by making calls using the phone accounts of at least eight other prisoners and “directing others” to arrange payment for this access.
Using a “relentless” strategy, prosecutors described Mr. Combs as reaching out to “potential witnesses, including victims of his abuse who could provide powerful testimony against him.”
“Uncanny ability”
Prosecutors urged the judge to reject Mr. Combs’ bail request, stating that “no set of conditions” could remove the possibility of a trial.
They asserted that “the defendant has shown an uncanny ability to get others to do his bidding—and that includes both [prison] inmates and employees.”
“There’s no reason to think private security guards would be exempt.”
Citing an interview with the celebrity’s attorney Marc Agnifilo, who stated that “food’s probably the roughest part” of Mr. Combs’ transition to life behind bars, prosecutors also dismissed complaints of the conditions at the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn.
The court move has not yet received a response from the musician’s attorneys. His legal team has been approached by the BBC for a response.
Last November, Cassandra “Cassie” Ventura, Mr. Combs’ ex-partner, filed a civil case alleging rape and bodily abuse occurrences from 2007 to 2018. This marked the beginning of Mr. Combs’ legal woes.
Even though the matter was swiftly resolved out of court, it sparked a wave of similar allegations and prompted the US government to launch an inquiry.
In a federal indictment, Mr. Combs was charged with three counts of sex trafficking and racketeering, including claims of drug-fueled, multi-day sexual displays known as “Freak Offs.”
Men and women have filed over two dozen legal lawsuits against the singer, alleging rape, sexual exploitation, and sexual assault.
The celebrity maintains that the sexual meetings at the center of his criminal case were all consensual and has strongly disputed all of the accusations made against him as well as the allegations in the civil lawsuits.
Source: The BBC
