Post Reports3 Apr 2023

An historic global heist — and a rapper on trial

Former Fugees rapper Pras is on trial for conspiracy, money laundering and acting as a foreign agent. The case, involving celebrities and political figures, is a small part of a bigger scandal: the $4.5 billion theft from the Malaysian government.

Leonardo DiCaprio. Steve Bannon. Kim Kardashian. All of these people are somehow connected to a trial stemming from one of the biggest financial scams in history: the $4.5 billion theft from the 1MDB Malaysian government fund. Prakazrel “Pras” Michél, a Grammy-winning rapper formerly of the Fugees, is on trial for conspiracy, money laundering and acting as an unregistered foreign agent. Michél has pleaded not guilty.

Federal prosecutors allege Michél received money from Malaysian businessman Low Taek Jho, who has been charged with numerous federal crimes related to pilfering the development fund and himself is a fugitive from justice. Michél’s trial will focus on two alleged schemes: whether the former rapper funneled money from Low to the Obama campaign using straw donors, and whether he helped Low in a plot to influence the Trump White House in deporting a Chinese dissident, Guo Wengui.

Many people connected to this scandal have already pleaded guilty. Michél, who faces many years in prison, will be on trial for weeks. His lawyers have said the former rapper was an amateur diplomat and political novice unfamiliar with campaign donation rules who was only trying to help his country by brokering a deal involving Guo’s extradition.

“At its core, what this case is about and what all the offshoot cases are about, is the Justice Department trying to hold people accountable for what they describe as this massive theft from the Malaysian people,” says criminal justice editor Matt Zapotosky, who has followed this case for years.

Plus, check out Post Reports in person: best-selling author Curtis Sittenfeld is in conversation with host Martine Powers in Washington, D.C. Join the discussion live at Sixth & I or take advantage of the virtual live stream.

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