LOS ANGELES: A rainforest charity has called on actor Leonardo DiCaprio to resign as United Nations Messenger of Peace for climate change if he fails to cut his ties with Riza Aziz and Jho Low, who are at the center of allegations about the embezzlement of Malaysian state funds.
"Leonardo DiCaprio has consistently refused to explain his close personal and financial ties with key persons of the Malaysian 1MDB scandal," variety.com quoted Lukas Straumann, director of Switzerland-based charity Bruno Manser Fund, as saying.
Straumann added: "This is unacceptable. If DiCaprio fails to distance himself from Malaysian corruption, he should resign as UN Messenger of Peace for climate change. We can't save the environment if we fail to stop corruption."
According to the charity, the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation has received funds from Low and Aziz.
The foundation was set up in 1998 with "the mission of protecting the world's last wild places", according to its website.