Prosecutors in the trial of hip-hop artist Lil' Kim have claimed in opening statements that the singer "flat out lied" during an investigation into a 2001 shootout at a radio station.
Prosecutors charge that Lil' Kim, real name Kimberly Jones, and her personal assistant Monique Dopwell lied during the course of an investigation into the shootout, which occurred on 25 February 2001 outside Manhattan radio station Hot 97.
Assistant US Attorney Daniel Gitner claimed in court yesterday that both Jones and Dopwell had "powerful personal and financial motives to lie".
It is claimed that the pair lied about their knowledge of the shooting in order to protect members of the singer's entourage who were involved in the incident.
Gitner said that the two women repeatedly gave false statements, which "went to the heart of the shootout the grand jury was investigating".
Two members of Jones' entourage, Damion Butler and Suif Jackson, were indicted in the case and later pleaded guilty. Gitner said in court that both men had fired shots during the shootout.
Jones is charged with telling the grand jury that Butler was not there at the time of the incident and that she did not know Jackson.
Gitner said, however, that evidence would show that Jones and Jackson had been friends for almost 10 years.
Jones' lawyer Mel Sachs said: "The truth is Kimberly Jones is not guilty ... Mr Gitner's case is a case of window dressing."
Sachs claims that his client had ever been asked if she knew Jackson during the course of the investigation. He says that Jones was asked to identify a hazy photograph, and replied that the face looked familiar.
Jones is charged with one count of conspiracy, three counts of perjury, three counts of making false statements and one count of obstruction. The obstruction count carries a maximum prison sentence of 10 years and the other charges each carry possible five-year terms.
