Kim Dotcom Offers To Stand Trial In US

Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom has offered to go to the US to have his case heard, rather than go through the extradition process.

Earlier this week, a New Zealand court decided the extradition hearing would be postponed until next year, as two judicial reviews over the legality of search warrants used by US officials to raid Dotcom’s mansion are currently underway. It is alleged that Megaupload infringed intellectual property rights by hosting and sharing copyright content.

Dotcom took to Twitter to say he would happily go to the US and there was “no need for extradition”. However, Dotcom said he wanted bail, living expenses whilst in the US and for his funds to be unfrozen so he can afford lawyers.

“They are sitting on all my money. I have no money to pay my lawyers,” Dotcom told the New Zealand Herald. “Every move they make, they know I have to send my lawyers there. They make it so I have no chance in the long run to defend myself. Lawyers need money too.”

Big legal bills

Dotcom complained about his massive legal bills, with 22 lawyers working on the case across the world. “I have accumulated millions of dollars in legal bills and I haven’t been able to pay a single cent. They just want to hang me out to dry and wait until there is no support left,” he added.

His case has been mired in legal wranglings that look set to continue.  Last month, a New Zealand High Court declared that the search warrants, used in the raid on Dotcom’s residence, were “invalid”, as they weren’t specific enough to be used in the case.

Chief Justice Helen Winkelmann also ruled that the FBI had no right to copy seven hard drives of digital evidence and send it to the US without the proper consent of New Zealand authorities.

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