Legendary hip hop group, Fugees’ founding member, Pras Michel, faces up to 22 years in prison after he was found guilty for his role in the looting of 4.5 billion of Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund known as 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). The U.S. government tagged the rapper as a Chinese spy.
The artist was found guilty of violating campaign finance laws and lobbying foreign officials without registration. He was also accused of assisting financier Jho Low in illegally channeling money into U.S politics in exchange for favors including meetings with top officials in Obama and Trump administrations.
In his first interview after being convicted in April with Variety, Michel opened up about the incident saying,
“I don’t know if subconsciously it was a bit exciting for me too. I like spy movies, but I never wanted to be a spy. I don’t think that’s s*xy. But a part of it felt like that.”
The artist was convicted by a jury on 10 counts, including violating campaign finance laws during Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election bid and illegally lobbying the Donald Trump administration in 2017.
More about Pras Michel’s role in the 1MDB scandal
Pras Michel’s involvement with Malaysia’s sovereign wealth fund, 1MDB began after his connection with Jho Low. Jho was a well-connected financier in Hollywood and political circles and allegedly used Michel to involve him in helping arrange meetings, including one with a high-ranking Chinese official at the Four Seasons Hotel in Manhattan. While speaking about the meeting, Pras said,
“The one thing that was weird to me: the fact that the Four Seasons has a private elevator. I never knew that. It felt natural, but in hindsight, it wasn’t.”
The trial brought up popular media figures like Leonardo DiCaprio, Kim Kardashian, and more for testimony.
While reflecting on the case, Michel said that he became the “low-hanging fruit”,
“The government needed a prize. They needed a head, and I was the low-hanging fruit.”
Michel had reportedly $80 million seized by the U.S. government while prosecutors claimed that he got more than $100 million from his dealings with Low.
However, despite the nature of his conviction, Pras Michel is positive and says that he’s “going to fight” and is “going to appeal” despite knowing that there’s a possibility of him “going in.”
As per Variety, there are at least three books on the incident in the works, one with Idris Elba in talks with Pras Michel’s reps to acquire his life rights and an upcoming documentary about his part in the financial scandal.
Edited by Priscillah Mueni
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