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Russia probe: Manafort lied after pleading guilty

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ANI Washington D.C. [USA]

Paul Manafort "breached" his plea agreement with the Justice Department after he lied to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the special counsel Rober Mueller.

In a new court filing, the prosecutors stated that Manafort lied two months after he started cooperating in the Russia probe, reported CNN.

According to a three-page filing signed by both the defence team and the prosecution, the prosecutors alleged that Manafort lied to the FBI and Mueller on various subjects and thereby violated the plea agreement. The special counsel's office says it will provide more details at a later date.

Prosecution and defence have urged the judge to move Manafort's case towards sentencing. However, Manafort does not agree with prosecutors' assertion that he has lied.

 

"He believes he has provided truthful information and does not agree with the government's characterisation or that he has breached the agreement," it says.

On September 14, United States President Donald Trump's former campaign-chief, Paul Manafort agreed to cooperate with the ongoing Mueller's investigation into accusations of Russian intervention in the 2016 polls after he was found guilty to conspiracy and witness tampering.

Earlier in August this year, Manafort was also found guilty on eight charges, including tax fraud by a Virginia.

According to CNN, as part of his plea deal, Manafort admitted to committing a host of money laundering and foreign lobbying crimes and fraud, giving the federal prosecutors leverage over him.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller is investigating Russian interference in the 2016 US election and alleged coordination with the Trump campaign.

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First Published: Nov 27 2018 | 10:15 PM IST

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