The actor testified Monday at the trial of a member of the Fugees, Pras Michel, recounting the “lavish parties” organized by a Malaysian financier at the heart of one of the largest corruption scandals in the world.
Musician Pras Michel, 50, has been on trial for a week in Washington for his role in an illegal influence campaign led in the United States by Malaysian Low Taek Jho. On Monday April 3, he was upstaged by actor Leonardo DiCaprio who, despite his cautious tone, captivated the jurors by recounting the decadent parties financed by Low Taek Jho with, according to the prosecution, funds embezzled from the Malaysian sovereign wealth fund 1MDB.
The 48-year-old star has also met the one he perceived as “a financial prodigy” around 2010 at a party organized in Las Vegas. With a smile, he admitted not remembering too much the second part of the evening… The actor of titanic was then regularly invited by Low Taek Jho”on boats, in nightclubs“, with other celebrities, sometimes including Pras Michel. For a New Year, the Malaysian had chartered a plane to take them to Australia and return to the United States, in order to celebrate the twelve strokes of midnight twice.
The actor is not implicated by justice
During their discussions, the businessman had asked Leonardo DiCaprio, who has his own production box, if he had a project in progress. “I mentioned the wolf of wall street and discussions have started with my representatives so that he finances the film“. Directed by Martin Scorsese, the feature film, released in 2013, tells the rise and fall of a drug-addicted and corrupt broker, and won an Oscar for Leonardo DiCaprio. Before accepting this money, the lawyers of the star, a private investigator and the other studios involved in the project had investigated Low and given “their green light“, said the actor, who is not questioned by justice.
In 2015, Leonardo DiCaprio, who also received donations from Low for his environmental foundation, cut ties after an article highlighting suspicions against Low Jho in the embezzlement of billions of dollars from the 1MDB fund, supposed to contribute to the economic development of Malaysia. Low, who fled justice and is likely in China, and others are accused of using the money to buy luxury homes, yachts, artwork and surround themselves with movie stars music, cinema, even politics.
A day, “he mentioned in passing that he wanted to make a large donation to the Democratic Party“, has also told Leonardo DiCaprio. He mentioned “20 to 30 million dollars. I said ‘Wow, that’s a lot of money…’” It is this sum which is worth, among other things, to Pras Michel to be in the dock. He is accused of having paid part of this money for contributions to the presidential campaign of Barack Obama in 2012, by hiding the origin of the funds. In the United States, donations from abroad are prohibited. The musician pleads not guilty.