SUGE KNIGHT FORCED INMATE TO GIVE FALSE TESTIMONY?

Imprisoned former R&B singer WAYMOND 'SUAVE' ANDERSON has accused rap mogul MARION 'SUGE' KNIGHT of forcing him to give false evidence in a 2007 civil lawsuit filed by NOTORIOUS B.I.G.'s family. B.I.G. - real name Christopher Wallace - was shot dead in 1997 in Los Angeles and his murder has never been solved. Anderson, who once implicated a Los Angeles police officer in B.I.G.'s death, took to the stand in an L.A. court on Thursday (31Jul08), when he retracted his previous testimony, alleging Knight had threatened him to lie to the court over the cop's involvement in the case.

He claims former Los Angeles Times reporter Chuck Philips passed him written messages from Knight, that had been wrapped in plastic, while he was behind bars at California's Corcoran State Prison, where Anderson is serving a life sentence for murder. Anderson was in court on Thursday for a hearing examining evidence that he claims will prove his innocence in the 1993 murder he is convicted of committing. But Anderson's accusations have been dismissed by Philips, who was fired from the L.A. Times last month (Jul08). Philips has previously written numerous articles on Anderson's case, suggesting he might be innocent.

Of the allegations, Philips says, "That never happened. I'm flabbergasted by this whole thing. This is the ultimate betrayal." Earlier this year (08), Phillips' story about the 1994 shooting of Wallace's rap rival Tupac Shakur left editors and publishers with red faces after his sources proved to be inaccurate. His January (08) article suggested Sean `Diddy' Combs and rap music heavyweight Jimmy `Henchman' Rosemond were involved in a plan to ambush Shakur at a New York Recording studio in 1994. But an investigation revealed the report had been based on faked documents and Philips was subsequently 'let go'.