Leonardo DiCaprio has appeared in court docket this week (April 3) within the cash laundering and bribery trial centred round former Fugees member Pras Michel.
Michel is accused of collaborating in a world campaign-finance conspiracy funded by Jho Low, a businessman who allegedly stole billions from a Malaysian sovereign wealth fund, 1MDB.
Michel has pleaded not responsible to the fees (through CNN). In response to CNN, “Low stays at giant”; he has reportedly beforehand denied the fees previously.
Final yr, hypothesis circled that Fugees cancelled their twenty fifth anniversary tour celebrating their second album ‘The Rating’ not resulting from COVID considerations, as initially said, however resulting from Michel’s ongoing authorized points.
DiCaprio, who shouldn’t be accused of any wrongdoing, took to the witness stand for an hour to testify about his relationship with Michel and Low. Prosecutors are reportedly attempting to indicate that Low used cash to win affect with actors, fashions and politicians within the US.
In response to prosecutors, Low and DiCaprio had been launched by the stepson of former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak.
As DiCaprio took to the stand, Prosecutor Nicole Lockhart stated to DiCaprio: “On the danger of asking a silly query, what do you do for a residing.”
DiCaprio responded: “I’m an actor.”
When requested about Low, DiCaprio stated he thought he was a “type of a prodigy within the enterprise world and ultra-successful”. He additionally stated he met Michel previous to this at a Fugees live performance within the ’90s.
DiCaprio additionally informed the jury he spoke with Low in 2012 in regards to the upcoming presidential election.
“It was a causal dialog about what get together he was in assist of, I informed him what get together I used to be in assist of. And he informed me that he, or he and a bunch, had been going to make a big contribution to the Democratic Get together,” he stated, including that the donation was round $20million or $30million.
“I stated ‘Wow, that’s some huge cash,’” DiCaprio added.
Prosecutors are alleging that cash was stolen from 1MDB and that Michel helped Low make donations by means of a sequence of straw donors.
DiCaprio testified that Low ultimately provided to fund a film for DiCaprio. Prosecutors allege that Low laundered cash from 1MDB by means of Crimson Granite Footage, which allegedly used a few of cash to fund motion pictures together with The Wolf of Wall Avenue, which DiCaprio starred in.
DiCaprio additionally went on to testify that a number of the cash from Low went into his environmental basis.
A spokesperson for DiCaprio beforehand informed CNN that he’s presently working with prosecutors to return any funds he or his charities obtained from 1MDB.
NME has reached out to Crimson Granite Footage for remark.