Leonardo DiCaprio has testified in the trial of ex-Fugees rapper Pras Michel.
Michel is accused of participating in a global campaign-finance conspiracy funded by Jho Low, a businessman who allegedly stole billions of dollars from Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund, known as 1Malaysia Development Berhad or 1MDB, to influence US politics.
Michel has pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.
Leonardo, who was called to testify by the prosecution, is not accused of any wrongdoing.
The actor testified on his relationship with Low, in a bid by prosecutors to show that Low allegedly used stolen money to ingratiate himself with high-profile figures in the US.
DiCaprio said he and Low met around 2010 at a party in Las Vegas, and told jurors that he understood Low to be “sort of a prodigy in the business world and ultra-successful.”
Leonardo testified that his relationship with Low was purely social at the beginning, and recalled Low throwing a “multitude of lavish parties with many different people from all over the world”.
Low eventually expressed interest in financing his 2013 film The Wolf of Wall Street, and after extensive background checks by his lawyers, a production company, and a third party, the actor was given the green light to make a deal with Low.
“I was given a green light by my team as well as the studios to accept Mr Low’s funding,” he testified. “That means that the background check was fine and that he was seen as a legitimate businessperson.”
Prosecutors allege that Low laundered money from 1MDB through a Los Angeles-based movie production company, Red Granite Pictures.
Red Granite allegedly used some of the laundered money to fund movies, including The Wolf of Wall Street.
Leonardo also testified that Low gave money to his environmental foundation by purchasing a painting at a fundraising event, and making donations through other businesses entities.
The 48-year-old said he stopped speaking to Low around 2015, when his representatives discovered an article that alleged Low was using “illegal funding from Malaysia and a multitude of other places.”
According to CNN, a spokesperson for the actor previously revealed he’s working with US prosecutors to return any funds he or his charities received from 1MDB.
Leonardo also testified in court that he spoke with Low in 2012 about the ongoing presidential election.
“It was a causal conversation about what party he was in support of, I told him what party I was in support of,” he said.
“And he told me that he, or he and a group, were going to make a significant contribution to the Democratic Party,” he said. “A significant sum, around 20 to 30 million dollars.”
“I said, ‘Wow, that’s a lot of money.'”
Prosecutors allege that money was stolen from 1MDB, and that Michel helped Low make donations through a series of straw donors.
