Court don find ex-Fugees musician Prakazrel “Pras” Michel guilty of 10 counts, including corruption, based on allegations say e use money to push influence for US.
US prosecutors say Michel bin receive more dan $100m (£80m) from Malaysian billionaire Jho Low wey e use in two efforts to influence US politics.
Di self-identifying “celebrity surrogate” also chop conviction for lobbying on behalf of China goment.
Di rapper now face years in prison.
Di koko of di mata wey land Pras Michel for gbege
Michel, wey be 50 years, chop conviction for one Washington DC court for campaign finance violations, acting as unregistered foreign agent, witness tampering and lying to banks.
Im lawyer, David Kenner, say im dey disappointed wit di outcome of di trial and plan to file an appeal.
“Dis neva dey over,” oga Kenner tok. “I remain very, very confident say we go ultimately prevail in dis matter.”
Oga Kenner say im bin also file motions for a unfair trial.
Di trial, wey start on 30 March, see testimony from Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio, as well as former US Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
Di Grammy-winning musician dey accused of bringing “secret, illegal, foreign influence to bear” during di administrations of Barack Obama and Donald Trump, between 2012 and 2017.
Businessman oga Low, wey move di money to Michel dey accused of stealing about $4bn from Malaysia sovereign wealth fund during di infamous 1MDB scandal.
Oga Low, wey dey currently wanted by di US goment allegedly help finance DiCaprio 2013 film The Wolf of Wall Street wit money wey e tiff from di sovereign fund.
Michel dey alleged to don help lobby Trump-administration official to leave dia investigation into oga Low part in di deal.
Oda charges agaisnt Michel
Also, Michel also chop accuse of taking money from China to lobby US officials to extradite one US-based rebel, Guo Wengui, back to China.
Di goment lead prosecutor, Nicole Lockhart, tell di court say Michel bin dey “look for oda ways to be paid” afta im music career stop.
She also say e bin see “opportunity to make money” through oga Low, wey “need different type of help” to avoid di consequences of di 1MDB scheme.
While Michel agree to take money from oga Low – including $20m to help am get foto wit oga Obama – e say im bin see di payments as “free money”.
Taking di stand for im own defence, Michel say e also feel “betrayed” by im advisers and employees wey e claim say dem bin give am bad advice on how to handle money and avoid breaking di law.
E however agree say im action dey “stupid” to reach out to “friends” wey FBI dey visit about campaign contributions – idea wey lead to say im witness dey tamper wit charges.
Pras Michel biography
Pras Michel na member of di rap group of three pipo, di Fugees wey reign in di 1990s.
Pras career no dey like dat of im colleagues, Wyclef Jean and Lauryn Hill becos e bin focus more on acting dan music.
Im come from Hiati and tori be say e dey related to Wyclef.
Dem born am as Prakazrel Michel for New Jersey.
Along wit im high-school classmate Lauryn Hill, dem found di rap group Tranzlator Crew in 1987 bifor Wyclef later join dem.
Na afta some time dem rename di group to Fugees.
