Kim Dotcom of Megaupload fame - you'll remember him as the larger-than-life figure who was controversially busted by the cops hiding in a panic room in his $30 million mansion in New Zealand - has finally convinced a court to grant him bail.
Prosecutors have claimed, since Dotcom's arrest in January, that he represented a flight risk. Dotcom had multiple names and nationalities, a lavishly wealthy lifestyle, contacts abroad, a helicopter and lots of cars.
But Dotcom is now free. It seems that he's had sufficiently many assets confiscated that the court no longer thinks he'll be able to get clear of New Zealand and will thus be forced to turn up for his extradition hearing, set for August this year.
According to reports, Dotcom's bail conditions prohibit helicopters near his property, and require him to stay within 80km of his house. (As you can see, even 25km gives him access to plenty of coastline.)
Dotcom is facing extradition to the USA because that's where he's been charged with a raft of serious offences related to his file-sharing service Megaupload, including racketeering (organised criminality) and money laundering.
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I am sure he will disapear shortly from New Zealand and setup new company somewhere else in the world :)
Nothing new, torrentfreak.com wins again
I am not sure myself what he will do but if the United States goes after him he wont have anywhere to hide on earth...he better own up and take some responsibility and take the Jail term and learn his lesson about piracy that it will catch up and bite you in the end
Victor Manuel Gerena, of the FBI 10 most wanted, has been evading the US for over 27 years, and Glen Stewart Godwin has been evading the US for over 20 years ( http://www.fbi.gov/wanted/topten ). It is clear that they can somehow hide from the US.
So will Paypal be hauled up for money laundering also then?
They processed huge amounts of his money and subscriptions.
Google pointed to his links and made money from advertising.
Opps, sorry they are American companies, so nothing will happen to them.
Robert Gracie you do talk a complete load of twaddle, megaupload was one of the best sites for complying with take down notices. So they go busting the good sites what message does that send ? Don't bother complying & make your operation even harder to be contacted & closed down. Nothing like a bit of guilty until proved innocent
James Martin, did you ever inquire, do Google's leaders ever make contributions to Federal election campaigns? Remember, Microsoft (R) avoided taking sides in politics until the mid-1990s, and that got it charged with Antitrust violation by General Reno et al. And Billy boy accepted his whipping and corrected his attitude after that.