Michael Cohen charged with conspiracy and obstruction of justice

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Michael Cohen, a former head of the European operations of Och-Ziff Capital Management Group, was charged with fraud related to the hedge fund firm’s activities in Africa, according to an indictment made public Wednesday.

It’s the latest reverberation from more than five years of inquiries by U.S. officials into the African activities of the giant publicly traded hedge fund firm. Back in September 2016, a unit of Och-Ziff pleaded guilty to bribing officials in Africa to win business. The firm paid hundreds of millions of dollars and its chief executive officer paid about $2 million to resolve the matter.

Prosecutors charged him with 10 counts including conspiracy to commit investment adviser fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to obstruct justice and making false statements. Cohen isn’t in U.S. custody, a person familiar with the matter said.

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