During the trial of rapper Pras Michel in Washington yesterday, Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio testified about the lavish parties thrown by Malaysian fugitive Low Taek Jho.
DiCaprio, who was a witness for the prosecution, stated that he had severed ties with Low in 2015 after allegations linking the businessman to the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) scandal emerged.
According to Bloomberg, the actor also testified that prior to this, Low had informed him that he intended to donate “approximately 20 to 30 million dollars” to the Democratic Party.
“I said, ‘Wow, that’s a lot of money,’” DiCaprio was quoted as saying.
Haitian-American Michel, 50, is on trial on charges involving illegal contributions to former president Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign. It is illegal for foreign nationals to contribute to US election campaigns.
His indictment reads: “The object of the conspiracy was for Michel and Jho Low to gain access to, and potential influence with, Candidate A and his administration, by secretly funnelling foreign money from Jho Low through Michel”.
Michel, who has won a Grammy award, is facing a charge of undisclosed lobbying related to the Donald Trump administration, which was intended to stop investigations into Low’s alleged embezzlement of funds from 1MDB. He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
During his testimony, DiCaprio revealed that Low’s background had been thoroughly investigated by his legal team when the latter showed interest in funding the movie “The Wolf of Wall Street”. The actor confirmed that he had received approval from his lawyers and studios to accept the funding.
According to DiCaprio, Low was perceived as a “credible businessperson” at the time, and he also received gifts from him for his environmental foundation. Additionally, the actor told the court about Low’s extravagant boat and nightclub parties, some of which were attended by Michel.
