The Fugees rapper PrasMichel is on trial

Michel DiCaprio, a Malaysian billionaire on the run from justice, was interviewed on the witness stand over The Wolf of Wall Street

DiCaprio testified for about an hour on 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.

Michel faces conspiracy, witness tampering and other charges stemming from his relationship to Jho Low, a Malaysian billionaire on the run from justice.

When government prosecutors called DiCaprio as a witness, several members of the jury who had appeared bored during the previous witness snapped to attention. One juror hit her head from her hands, while another looked around excitedly. A third juror leaned back in his seat after clapping his hands together.

On the witness stand, DiCaprio explained that he worked with fugitive mogul Low, who hosted lavish parties for celebrities, including Paris Hilton and Britney Spears. That all came before Low drew scrutiny from the Justice Department for allegedly stealing billions of dollars from a Malaysian sovereign wealth fund. Low also helped finance The Wolf of Wall Street, a 2013 film about a voracious fraudster, in which DiCaprio starred.

DiCaprio also said he met Michel in the 1990s and had attended a Fugees concert. DiCaprio said that it was possible Michel attended a Thanksgiving meal at his home, but that “memory does not serve.”

During the interrogation, he said that he remembered talking to Low about the U.S. presidential race. “He mentioned in passing that he or possibly a group of other partners of his were going to give a significant contribution to the Democratic party … something to the tune of $20 or $30 million, to which I basically said, ‘Wow that’s a lot of money,’ ” DiCaprio said.

DiCaprio said he had enlisted representatives and a third-party investigator to perform background checks on Low before entering into the business relationship with him over the film to find out whether “the financing was good or not and safe to accept.”

Low made donations through other businesses and purchased a painting for the environmental foundation, which he gave money to.

A spokesperson for DiCaprio previously told CNN that the actor is working with US prosecutors to return any funds he or his charities received from 1MDB.

The Wolf of Wall Street: Can Foreign Foreign Contributions Save a Movie in the United States?” Prosecuting DiCaprio

The actor was asked to “stay his voice up” by the judge so the jury and court reporter could hear him. “Talk to the back of the room,” the judge said.

“Have you ever received anything close to tens of millions of dollars separate from The Wolf of Wall Street?” The prosecutor asked the question.

“My understanding, I was given a green light by my team as well as the studio to accept financing from Mr. Low,” DiCaprio said. That means the background check was valid and he was a legitimate businessman.

DiCaprio pointed out Michel, the defendant, in the courtroom and said he thought they had first met in the 1990s, when Michel’s group, Fugees, reached the height of its fame and influence. The Score is still one of the top streaming albums of all time.

The prosecution is focused on Low’s status in the United States since foreign donations are not permitted in political campaigns here, according to the judge.

But prosecutor Lockhart elicited that foreign funds are not illegal to finance movie productions in the U.S., getting DiCaprio to say that is “somewhat” common.