Dr Tohme Tohme

A doctor who worked as Michael Jackson’s manager told The New York Post today that he was not at the “King of Pop’s” home when he collapsed in cardiac arrest and denied reports that he had injected the singer with drugs shortly before he died. “It’s not me. I wasn’t there at the house when this took place,” said Dr. Tohme Tohme, who described himself as Jackson’s manager and was present at a press conference where Jermaine Jackson formally announced his brother’s death yesterday. “I am his manager and I feel lost. I loved Michael and I was his friend. I was handling all his affairs,” he said by phone from Los Angeles. He said reports that Jackson was using prescription drugs were inaccurate and blasted claims by a Jackson family lawyer, Brian Oxman, that Jackson had been surrounded by disreputable people before his death, as untrue. “That guy Oxman … is not allowed to make any statement for the family. Only Jermaine can make statements on behalf of the family,” he said. “I have never seen [Michael] do any drugs. I have never seen him take any pills,” he said.

Tohme said that the insurance company backing AEG, the promoters of Jackson’s upcoming 50 show revue at London’s O2 Theater, insisted the singer undergo a rigorous physical before they signed off on the deal and that he was in top shape. “To be able to perform, AEG had to get insurance and he had a four-hour physical by a doctor chosen by the insurance company,” he said. “For a guy to go on and dance for four hours, not even an athlete can do that, and he was doing this at rehearsal every day.” Several reports identified Tohme as the personal physician who was trying to revive the pop legend when EMTs arrived at his LA-area house yesterday. It’s being reported that authorities want to question Tohme, but that he had gone missing. London’s The Sun newspaper identified Tohme as a doctor who injected Jackson with the potent narcotic Demerol before he collapsed.

TMZ is reporting that the doctor who was with Michael Jackson at the time of his death has been identified as a cardiologist from Houston, Texas. KHOU in Houston reports the man is Dr. Conrad Robert Murray, who had been living with Jackson in his rented mansion. We’re told Murray attempted to revive Michael until paramedics showed up at the scene. The station reports the car that was towed from Michael’s house last night was registered to Murray’s sister. Law enforcement is looking for the doctor so they can question him.