Jackson doctor Arnold Klein quizzed over odd bill

Jul 16, 2009, 12:00 GMT

Dermatologist Arnold Klein - who worked for the \'Billie Jean\' singer for 20 years - is already under investigation by Los Angeles coroners over which drugs he was giving the singer at the time of his death last month. EPA/JOHN G. MABANGLO

Michael Jackson's doctor is being questioned over why he charged around $100,000 for prescription drugs and unspecified services.

Dermatologist Arnold Klein - who worked for the 'Billie Jean' singer for 20 years - is already under investigation by Los Angeles coroners over which drugs he was giving the singer at the time of his death last month.

Legal papers have been filed by Klein claiming $97,500 from Jackson in unpaid bills from autumn 2005 to February 2007, including a "misc charge" of $65,000 on October 3 2005 and another for $16,288 on July 4 2004. On the same day he also charged the singer - who he treated under the false name of Ferdinand Diaz - $12,500 for an off premises call.

Klein was very closely linked to Jackson - his assistant Debbie Rowe became the singer's second wife and is mother to his two eldest children Prince Michael I, 12, and Paris, 11. It is also rumoured Klein supplied the sperm used to father them both.

Klein is thought to have had problems getting Jackson to pay his bills on a number of occasions, but although he began legal proceedings against the star he continued to treat the 'King of Pop'.

However, the filed expenses were all eventually settled by Jackson.

On Tuesday (14.07.09) officials from the Los Angeles coroners office demanded medical files from Klein's clinic, which he had previously promised to provide.

Klein's lawyer has said he is "co-operating fully" with the probe into his treatment of Jackson.

Meanwhile, US authorities are reportedly considering making Propofol - one of the drugs Michael was reportedly taking at the time of his death - a controlled substance.

The US Drug Enforcement Administration was petitioned two years ago to make the anaesthetic a 'scheduled' drug under the US Controlled Substances Act, which would impose limits on its availability and distribution.

The drug is usually given intravenously in hospitals to patients to make them unconscious for surgery.