A federal prosecutor in New York has said lawyers for music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs are looking for reasons to delay a sex-trafficking trial due to start in three weeks.
The latest version of the indictment against Combs, 55, added two new charges this month but he still had not entered a plea, prosecutors said.
Delays during the discovery process for sharing evidence between both sides also made prosecutors believe he might be stalling for time, assistant US Attorney Christy Slavik said.
Combs has been locked up without bail since his September arrest. He entered a not guilty plea again at Monday’s hearing but otherwise remained impassive in the courtroom.
Judge Arun Subramanian told Combs’ lawyers they have until Wednesday to request a pause in the trial to give more time for discovery.
"We are a freight train moving toward trial," he said.
Marc Agnifilo, representing Combs, said the defence might ask for a "very short" two-week adjournment over discovery issues, including the government’s failure to ask a key witness to turn over 200,000 of her emails rather than just letting her highlight the ones she thinks are important.
The latest version of the indictment returned on 4 April, added two new charges and accused Combs of using force, fraud or coercion to compel a woman to engage in commercial sex acts from at least 2021 to 2024.
It also alleges that Combs was involved in transporting the woman - identified only as Victim 2 - and other people, including commercial sex workers, to engage in prostitution during the same period.
The new charges bolstered an indictment already charging him with racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking.
Combs has denied all charges, insisting that any sex acts were consensual.
Source: Press Association
