Actor/Activist DiCaprio Under-fire for Money Laundering.
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A rainforest charity calls for the award winning actor/activist to renounce his connection to individuals involved in a Malaysian corruption scandal and return laundered money he allegedly received or give up his UN Messenger of Peace role.
In perhaps the biggest attack on Leonardo DiCaprio’s environmental credibility, a rainforest charity Friday called on the actor to give up his title as UN Messenger of Peace with a special focus on Climate Change.
Friday, at a press conference in London, the Bruno Manser Funds offered the actor/activist this ultimatum: Renounce his connections to the “politically exposed persons” at the center of the multi-billion dollar 1MDB Malaysian corruption scandal now being investigated by the US Justice Department and return corrupt money he received or resign from the position he was given by UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon in Y 2014.
“If DiCaprio is unwilling to come clean, we ask him to step down as UN Messenger for Peace for climate change, because he simply lacks the credibility for such an important role,” said the Director of the Switzerland-based charity, which has a particular focus on deforestation in Malaysia.
Mr. DiCaprio is alleged to have received millions of dollars diverted from the 1MDB sovereign wealth fund for his role as star and producer of The Wolf of Wall Street, alleged by the DOJ to have been funded by stolen Malaysian money and produced by Red Granite, co-founded by Riza Aziz, the stepson of the Malaysian prime minister and a major figure in a DOJ filing.
He is also alleged to have received laundered 1MDB money for his charity, the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, from his former close associate Jho Low, the controversial Malaysian businessman at the heart of the scandal.n
At the press conference, dubbed “Recovery of Stolen Malaysian Assets,” a direct link was made between the 1MDB corruption scandal and major environmental issues in Malaysia, such as deforestation, a Key concern of the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation.
The press conference took place the morning Mr. DiCaprio was confirmed as attending the BFI London Film Festival for Saturday’s European premiere of his environmental documentary Before the Flood.
Mr. DiCaprio was invited to talk at the press conference via an open letter from the Bruno Manser Funds, he did not respond. A red chair and name plaque were present in his absence.
“We can’t save the environment if we fail to stop corruption,” said the Bruno Manser Funds official, who called Mr. DiCaprio’s criticism of deforestation in the Indonesia-controlled parts of Borneo, “cynical hypocrisy.”
“He needs to become part of the solution,” he added. “But today he is part of the problem.”
LTN has reached out to Mr. DiCaprio for comment, nothing yet.
Mr. DiCaprio is an outspoken supporter of Hillary Clinton, herself and her family foundation accused of high level international corruption.
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