Tour CEO testifies in Jackson lawsuit A TOP executive of the company that was producing Michael Jackson's This Is It tour admits he negotiated a deal for the doctor that the pop star had chosen to accompany him. But AEG Live executive Paul Gongaware testified his only role was negotiating the price of Dr Conrad Murray's services who had been chosen by Jackson. Gongaware said that neither he nor anyone at the entertainment giant investigated Murray's background or credentials. "The fact that he had been Michael Jackson's personal physician for three years was good enough for me," Gongaware said. Gongaware, the Co-CEO of AEG Live, testified as a hostile witness called by lawyers for Jackson's mother in her negligent-hiring lawsuit. Questioned by lawyer Brian Panish on whether AEG or Jackson was responsible for hiring Murray, who was ultimately convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the superstar's death. Jackson died in 2009 after being given a powerful anaesthetic. He said that Murray initially asked for $US5 million ($A5.23 million) to tend to Jackson during the tour. "I just told him it wasn't going to happen," he said, recalling that Jackson then suggested offering him $US150,000 a month. "Michael Jackson insisted on it and recommended him and it was not for me to tell him no," said Gongaware. I wanted to provide what was necessary for him to do his job ... He wanted a doctor and I wanted him to be healthy. Even after the offer of $US150,000, Murray wasn't satisfied. "He started saying he wanted more and I said, 'The offer is coming directly from the artist," Gongaware said. Minutes later, he said Murray accepted. At the heart of the case is who hired Murray. At first, Gongaware insisted he did no negotiating with Murray, but, confronted with emails and his previous testimony, he changed his position and said, "The only thing I did with Dr Murray was negotiate a price."