US rapper Pras Michel, formerly of the Fugees, was found guilty of 10 felony counts in a federal court in Washington on Wednesday over a scheme to help a Malaysian businessman and China influence the US government. United. The sentence will be announced later.
According to information from CNN, Michel said during testimony last week that the Malaysian businessman Jho Low paid him US$ 20 million in 2012 for him to arrange an occasion for the Asian to take a photo with then-President Barack Obama.
According to prosecutors, the rapper directed about $800,000 of that money to the Obama campaign through donations of oranges.
According to CBS News, the prosecution alleged that the former president’s campaign officials were “misled” regarding the illegality of the payments. Michel claimed, however, that he understood that he could use the money as he saw fit.
Another episode mentioned in the judgment was that Low would have allocated more than US$ 100 million to Michel to pressure the US government in 2017, during the administration of Donald Trump, to give up an investigation into the diversion of resources from the Malaysian sovereign wealth fund. According to the indictment, the rapper also interceded for the extradition of a Chinese dissident, Guo Wengui, at the request of Beijing.
Also according to CNN, Michel argued that he only tried to help Low find a lawyer in the United States and told the FBI about Guo, accused earlier this year in an unrelated fraud scheme in New York and who is under arrest, because he considered him a criminal. He denied acting on behalf of China.
The rapper also claimed that the $100 million was for a media venture and that the money did not belong to Low.
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