New Zealand Court Releases Kim Dotcom
Posted: May 29th, 2012 | Author: Michael Courtenay | Filed under: CRIME! | Tags: Bail, DeepField, FBI, File Sharing, Filesharing, Kim Dotcom, Kim Schmitz, Law Court, Megaupload, New Zealand, Piracy, SOPA | Comments Off
Kim Dotcom has been allowed to once again tread the plush carpets of his rented mansion in tranquil New Zealand. The alleged superduper bad guy, criminal mastermind, internet pirate and international copyright infringer – Kim Dotcom – has welcomed the relaxing of his bail conditions and says it will improve his ability to fight extradition to the United States.
An Auckland district court judge today ruled Dotcom’s flight risk was minimal and had been overstated. The German national and Megaupload founder is wanted in the United States for alleged copyright infringement worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
Judge David Harvey told the Auckland District Court he believes it is unlikely that Mr Dotcom will flee New Zealand, saying the original flight risk was overstated and he no longer needs to be electronically monitored. Judge Harvey said that Mr Dotcom and his co-accused had abided by all their bail conditions ::::
Mr Dotcom can now return to his rented Auckland mansion. Dotcom and his family were forced to move out of the house after police raids at the property in January. In a moving interview he told Radio New Zealand that his family feels more welcome now than before the January raids. ”The family will be very happy to move back,” Mr Dotcom said.
Mr Dotcom said the relaxed bail conditions would allow him to visit his lawyers more easily and prepare for the extradition hearing, set down for August. Megaupload was indicted in a federal court in the US state of Virginia on 19 January this year and the site was shut down. Mr Dotcom and his co-accused were arrested in Auckland the following day.
Listen to Mr Dotcom on Radio NZ Checkpoint
related: kim dotcom/megaupload
source: radio new zealand
