Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom evades jail as US bail breach allegations rubbished
Kim Dotcom, the founder of Megaupload, which was taken down by the US government in 2012 for copyright infringement allegations, has escaped a US bid to jail him ahead of his ongoing extradition case.
Kim Dotcom boasting him immense wealth
The file-sharing pioneer was accused of violating his bail by the prosecution, which claimed he "breached bail conditions by having indirect contact with one of his accused; that he is a flight risk because he has the money to skip the country; and that he has been dishonest about his finances by trying to sell a NZ$500,000 (£250,000) Rolls Royce in London."
Speaking outside the courtroom, Dotcom responded: “I think this is another case of harassment and bullying by the United States government in concert with the New Zealand government.
“This whole application was only made because my lawyers decided to resign because of a lack of funds on my part because Hollywood has seized the new family assets that have been made after the raid.”
Judge Dawson ruled that Dotcom did not hide the Rolls Royce and therefore his bail remained intact. The agreement requires him to report to police twice a week, while he is also forbidden from travelling by private helicopter or by sea.
The ruling will be good news to the German entrepreneur who announced to the unBound Digital conference in London via Skype last week that he spent $10m on the case and, as a result, is bankrupt.
After the closure of Megaupload, Dotcom launched secure-cloud company Mega, although he asserted that the company is in his now-estranged wife's name.
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