Academy Award winner Leonardo DiCaprio has taken the stand Monday as the first blockbuster witness in the star-studded trial of former Fugees member Pras Michel.
Michel is accused of participating in a global campaign-finance conspiracy funded by Jho Low, a Malaysian businessman who allegedly stole billions of dollars from a Malaysian sovereign wealth fund, 1MDB. Michel has pleaded not guilty.
DiCaprio, who reportedly testified to the grand jury that handed up Michel’s indictment, is not accused of any wrongdoing.
Though both Michel and Low are both facing charges in the US, Low remains at large so Michel is on trial alone.
DiCaprio is expected to testify about his relationship with Low in a bid by prosecutors to show that Low used stolen money to curry favor with actors, models and politicians in the United States. It’s likely that prosecutors are using DiCaprio as a charismatic figure to both explain the extent of the alleged Malaysian money scheme, and also to bring star power that would outshine even Michel.
According to prosecutors, Low and DiCaprio were introduced by the stepson of former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak, who was charged in Malaysia in connection with the 1MDB corruption scandal. Prosecutors allege that Low laundered money from 1MDB through Aziz’s Los Angeles-based movie production company, Red Granite Pictures.
Red Granite allegedly used some of the laundered money to fund movies including DiCaprio’s 2013 film “The Wolf of Wall Street.” DiCaprio thanked Low by name while accepting a Golden Globe for his role in the film.
In 2016, prosecutors moved to seize assets from “The Wolf of Wall Street,” as well as a Picasso painting that an associate of Low’s allegedly bought with stolen funds and gifted to DiCaprio.
A spokesperson for DiCaprio previously told CNN that the actor is…
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