Manafort, the former Trump campaign manager, had more than 30 bank accounts outside the United States without declaring

Paul Manafort, former head of President Donald Trump's campaign, opened more than 30 bank accounts outside the United States to "receive and hide" the proceeds of his lobbying activities in Ukraine, announced Tuesday a prosecutor. Federal

Uzo Asonye, ​​one of the members of Robert Mueller's team, the special prosecutor investigating "Rusiagate", made the complaint during the presentation of his initial arguments in the trial against Manafort that started Tuesday in a federal court in Virginia. He is accused of bank fraud, false tax returns and hiding accounts abroad to evade taxes.

"Paul Manafort puts himself and his money above the law," Assistant Deputy Attorney General Asonye said in his closing arguments on Tuesday. "A man in this room believed that the law does not apply to him (…) Neither the tax laws, nor the banking laws."

Manafort, 69, pleaded guilty to 18 counts of fraud for his lobbying activities in favor of the former pro-Russian government of Ukraine. With him, he raised more than $ 60 million between 2010 and 2014, according to newspaper reports The Washington Post .

It is expected that this trial will last about three weeks, in which nearly 30 witnesses will be presented

"All these charges are reduced to a simple problem: Paul Manafort lied, " said Asonye, ​​who was denouncing some of the luxuries that the former campaign leader, including a layer of thousands of dollars.

The defense, on the other hand, apologized by baduring that Manafort decided to leave day-to-day management in the hands of his ex-partner Richard Gates, who "would have taken advantage of his confidence".

Manafort faces a second trial in federal court in September for charges related to his failure to register as a lobbyist abroad.

Trump called the investigation a "witch hunt" of a political nature. He denied any relation of his campaign with Moscow.

Manafort refused to hear from prosecutors. In fact, is the only one of 19 accused by Mueller – including 13 Russians – who insists on his innocence in the investigation on "Rusiagate". . Others, such as Gates and former National Security Advisor Michael Flynn, pleaded guilty.

On Tuesday, outside the courthouse, a group of demonstrators waved placards such as "lock up". for you. "

On June 15, a federal judge put an end to his house arrest and ordered his imprisonment, citing charges of obstruction of justice.There he will remain without bail pending the completion of two trials against he He is the first Trump campaign official to be imprisoned for the investigation of Russian interference in the presidential elections.