Sam Lufti’s case against Britney Spears started to look a little shaky yesterday when he was asked about the exact details of his supposed management contract with the troubled pop star.

According to a fairly damning report from New York Daily News, Lufti struggled to explain exactly when, or how, he officially became Britney’s manager. When questioned, he also appeared to have little concept of how the music industry works.

Whilst under cross-examination, Lufti reportedly confessed that he could not recall a time when he ever told any friends or acquaintances about the nature of his deal with Britney. A lawyer representing Britney asked him “You don't remember who, if anyone, you ever told (about) the financial terms of your arrangement?” to which he replied “That's correct, sir.” The same artist-management agreement that Lufti had downloaded in July 2007 was then presented; it did not help Lufti’s case at all.

“The artist's signature and name are not filled in” said lawyer Joel Boxer. “That’s correct sir,” came the reply. “In fact, nothing is filled in on this contract.” Again, Lufti confirmed that was correct. Sam Lufti then struggled to explain what he understood of some basic industry concepts, such as “compulsory license.” When asked if he had informed Britney’s entertainment lawyer Gary Stiffleman that he was contracted to be her manager, he simply said that he felt that should have been Britney’s responsibility. It’s worth remembering here that at the time Lufti claims to have been her manager, Britney was undergoing a very public mental breakdown. Without any proof that he had ever been employed as her manager, though, Lufti could well find this case rapidly slipping through his fingers.