*Things got tense on Thursday in the rape trial of Nicki Minaj’s brother when their mother took the stand and detailed text messages sent in the days after her son’s arrest, reports the New York Daily News.
Prosecutors said Minaj’s brother, Jelani Maraj, repeatedly raped his wife’s 11-year-old daughter as often as four times a week in their Long Island home before he was arrested Dec. 1, 2015. But Maraj’s family claims his estranged wife, Jacqueline Robinson, fabricated the charges in a bid to extort $25 million from the rapper’s family.
“You guys set up my child,” Carol Maraj wrote in a text message to Robinson the night her son was arrested. Carol told jurors in Nassau County Court she didn’t remember the text, but later admitted she wrote it.
“A lot of things were going through my head that day,” she said. “It was a confusing day.”
Earlier that day, after the arrest, Robinson had given Carol a ride to the courthouse for Jelani’s arraignment. “We had a little conversation,” Carol Maraj said.” As we were getting out of the car she said, ‘It’s going to take a lot of money to get out of this one.’”
But Assistant DA Jared Rosenblatt, on cross examination, said the witness was just trying to protect her daughter’s music empire, and tried to back up the accusation with a text message, Carol Maraj sent to Robinson days after the arrest.
“I don’t think you should give people details on anything,” the message said. “You don’t have to share your business with everyone who calls.”
Carol Maraj also testified that her son had an alcohol problem.
“I knew he had a drinking problem,” she said. “I can’t say if he had a drinking problem during that time period.”
Jelani Maraj, who is the older brother of the rapper, faces 15 years to life in prison if found guilty of the top charge against him.
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