Canadian pop singer Justin Bieber (R) Justin Bieber's concert gear has been seized in Argentina in a legal scuffle with a photographer, the latest in a series of incidents trailing the Canadian teen idol's South American tour. Judge Maria Giraudi ordered that the singer's belongings be held after photographer Diego Pesoa filed suit for damages, alleging that Bieber's bodyguards hit him and damaged his equipment as the singer was leaving a nightclub.
Pesoa's lawyer, Matias Morla, said Bieber "gave the order to beat him and then got back in his van."
"Customs impounded for 30 days all Bieber's goods at the Ezeiza International Aiport: audio equipment, sound, lights and the clothes he used in his show," a customs source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
"It is the first time Argentine customs has impounded belongings of a foreign artist," the source said.
The owner of a Buenos Aires nightclub, Ink, also accused Bieber of leaving without paying his bill.
Bieber left Buenos Aires on Monday to continue his South American "Believe Tour" in neighboring Chile, leaving behind a lot of unhappy people.
He caused offense by stepping on an Argentine flag thrown onto the stage during a concert.
Bieber later apologized for the incident, insisting he thought the flag was a fan's shirt.
"I dont like having to defend myself but this time it was needed as I mean no disrespect," he explained on Twitter.
In Buenos Aires, he was evicted from a luxury hotel after a room was damaged, and disappointed fans by cutting short a concert in the city because of an intestinal ailment.
In Rio de Janeiro, the singer was charged with tagging the wall of an abandoned hotel, photographed leaving a notorious brothel, and thrown out of another hotel.
Source: AFP