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Leonardo DiCaprio testifies in money laundering and bribery trial of Fugees’ Pras Michel

Pras Michel is also charged with witness tampering, and failure to register as a foreign agent of the Chinese government
UPDATED APR 4, 2023
Leonardo DiCaprio on Monday, April 3, stood in witness box against Fugees rapper Pras Michel (Getty Images, Alberto E Rodriguez, Jonathan Leibson/Getty Images for J/P HRO)
Leonardo DiCaprio on Monday, April 3, stood in witness box against Fugees rapper Pras Michel (Getty Images, Alberto E Rodriguez, Jonathan Leibson/Getty Images for J/P HRO)

WASHINGTON DC, WASHINGTON: Leonardo DiCaprio has testified in the Pras Michel case, who is accused of making illegal campaign contributions with foreign money. The ‘Revenant’ star was present in the courtroom on Monday, April 3, against Fugees member and told jurors that his team inspected him. The 50-year-old is also charged with witness tampering, and failure to register as a foreign agent of the Chinese government.

DiCaprio faced the jurors for almost an hour, answering questions from both sides, about his dealings with Jho Low, a Malaysian businessman, and international fugitive. The latter is allegedly involved in stealing billions from a Malaysian sovereign wealth fund, 1Malaysia Development Berhad. Michel and Low are both co-defendants in the case, but Low has escaped from the clutches of the law and remains at large. 

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'Did DiCaprio received gifts or favors from accused Low?'

DiCaprio was the lead actor in his 2013 blockbuster movie, ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ in which he was also a co-producer. The ‘Shutter Island’ actor believed Low was a ‘prodigy in the business world,’ but did get his representatives and lawyers to vet this investor ‘to see whether the financing was good or not and safe to accept.’ According to DiCaprio, Low's funding covered the ‘financing of the film, payment of the cast and crew’ and everything that goes into movie making. DiCaprio in his earlier testimony said, which was done to determine whether he or his foundation got any favors from the accused. The department of justice was looking, if he “ever received any gifts or charitable donations directly or indirectly related to these parties, and if so, to return those gifts or donations as soon as possible,” reports NBC News

'Wow, that’s a lot of money'

DiCaprio further shared with jurors that he once heard Low telling him that he planned on donating “$20-30 million” to the Democratic Party in 2012, which was campaigning for their leader Obama at that time. He recalled saying “wow, that’s a lot of money" at the moment. Meanwhile, Michel remembered from the ‘90s hip-hop group the Fugees, who had pleaded not guilty to the charges, and if convicted, can get a maximum penalty of 20 years behind the bars.

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