Fugees member Pras is currently on trial for criminal conspiracy charges, and Leonardo DiCaprio has become the latest witness to take the stand in the case.
According to Rolling Stone, the actor took the stand in Washington, D.C. on Monday (April 3) as one of several witnesses for the prosecution.
AD LOADING...
DiCaprio — who is not accused of any wrongdoing — testified about the alleged exploits of Malaysian financier Jho Low, who’s accused of stealing $4.5 billion from Malaysia’s 1MDB sovereign wealth fund.
Pras is accused of assisting Low and illicitly funneling some of that money into U.S. politics, including by making contributions to former President Barack Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign.
AD LOADING...
Leonardo DiCaprio said he met Low at a party in Las Vegas in 2010 and the Malaysian financier went on to invite him to “a multitude of lavish parties.”
“I understood [Low] to be a huge businessman with many connections,” the Oscar-winner told the court. “He was a prodigy in the business world.”
Low contributed to DiCaprio’s charitable efforts, with the actor revealing he regularly participated in auctions “to bring in funds” for his foundation.
A firm connected to Low also contributed money to fund Martin Scorsese’s 2013 movie The Wolf of Wall Street starring DiCaprio.
AD LOADING...
Leonardo DiCaprio ended up turning over items he and his foundation received from Low to authorities, which supposedly included Picasso and Jean-Michel Basquiat paintings.
The actor also recalled a conversation with Low about U.S. politics, claiming Low had interest in making a “significant contribution” to the Democratic Party before the 2012 presidential election.
AD LOADING...
Low was reportedly considering an amount between $20 and $30 million, with DiCaprio telling the court: “I basically said, ‘Wow, that’s a lot of money.’”
TMZ caught Pras (real name Prakazrel Samuel Michel) outside the courthouse prior to the hearing, but he had “no comment.”
Prosecutors allege Pras was paid hundreds of millions of embezzled Malaysian dollars in exchange for running a foreign-influence campaign against the U.S. government.
The Fugees star also stands accused of trying to convince the Donald Trump administration to stop investigating Low and the 1MDB sovereign wealth fund.
AD LOADING...
“The defendant needed money and was willing to do anything to get it, including being an agent of the Chinese government,” prosecutor Nicole Lockhart said. “The defendant wanted money and was willing to break any laws necessary to get paid.”
Pras pleaded not guilty to federal charges of conspiracy and falsifying records. He’s facing 22 years in prison if convicted.
