Don King Maintains Innocence in Fraud Case : Boxing: Promoter also says he has signed light-flyweight Carbajal away from rival Arum.

Four days after being charged in a nine-count federal indictment, Don King said he was innocent and scored a coup against rival boxing promoter Bob Arum at the same time Monday.

With his arraignment on charges of insurance fraud set for Thursday in New York, King signaled that he would continue business as usual by announcing that he had signed a five-fight, $4-million-plus deal with Michael Carbajal, former light-flyweight champion in the World Boxing Council and International Boxing Federation.

Carbajal, a 1988 Olympic bronze medalist and one of the highest-paid fighters ever in the lighter weights, had been one of Arum’s most loyal fighters.

King did not directly address his legal situation, other than to say he had “absolutely” done nothing wrong.

After a two-year investigation, King was charged with lying to an insurance carrier about the circumstances involving a bout canceled in 1991.

“I’ve been indicted all my life, brother,” King said at a news conference in a Century City hotel. “You just have to deal with it, that’s all.”

King said that confidence allows him to expand his stable of fighters, despite the indictment.

“This is what demonstrates how good I truly am--to continue to do this like I’m doing it,” King said.

“A person who is running in fear or apprehension, he couldn’t do it.”

Carbajal downplayed King’s legal problems and said King simply presented the Phoenix fighter with the most lucrative package.

“I’m pretty sure people are going to be saying why am I going with Don King,” Carbajal said. “But it’s something you couldn’t pass up.”

An angry Arum said in Las Vegas that Carbajal had agreed to a fight in September and that if he doesn’t fulfill the unwritten deal, “it’s going to be a war.”

Arum, who represented Carbajal in the first $1-million payday for a lighter-weight fighter last February--Carbajal lost in a rematch against Humberto (Chiquita) Gonzalez at the Forum--says Carbajal agreed to a two-fight deal that was kicked off by Carbajal’s victory over Josue Camacho last Friday for the World Boxing Organization’s light-flyweight title.

The Carbajal camp said the fighter is “free and clear” because there is no written contract for a September bout.