A Swiss rainforest charity is calling on Leonardo

DiCaprio to explain his alleged ties to a multibillion-

dollar embezzlement case or step down from his
position as a United Nations Messenger of Peace, a
role in which the actor focuses on the issue of climate
change.
"Leonardo DiCaprio has consistently refused to explain his close personal and
financial ties with key persons of the Malaysian 1MDB scandal," said Lukas
Straumann, director of Switzerland-based rainforest charity, the Bruno Manser
Fund, in a statement. "This is unacceptable."
The 1MDB scandal is an ongoing investigation into the alleged
misappropriation of billions of dollars through a fund called 1 Malaysia
Development Berhad.
The state-owned fund -- founded and chaired by Malaysia's Prime Minister,
Najib Razak -- was established so investments in global projects could be
made and profits used to improve life for Malaysian citizens.
Instead, corrupt financiers treated that fund as a "personal bank account,"
according to U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch, who spoke about the case
in July.
The actor's Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation is among the businesses alleged
to have received some of the embezzled funds through donations made by
key persons connected to the case. Moreover, 2013's "The Wolf of Wall
Street," a movie about fraud, is believed to have been largely funded by
money from the 1MDB scandal via Red Granite
Productions, investigators have said. The production company was co-
founded by Razak's stepson, Riza Aziz.
The Bruno Manser Fund says DiCaprio's failure to "distance himself" from the
Malaysian corruption case are reason enough for him to resign as U.N.
Messenger of Peace for climate change.
"We can't save the environment if we fail to stop corruption," the organization
said.
DiCaprio's new documentary about global warming, "Before the Flood,"
premiered in the UK on Friday.
The star was appointed to his U.N. role in 2014 by Secretary-General Ban Ki-
moon, who recognized DiCaprio for being a "credible voice in the
environmental movement," according to a statement released at the time.