Sydney, Australia, Aug 15 (EFE).- Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom faces extradition to the United States after New Zealand’s justice minister said Thursday he had signed off on the order.
The German-Finnish Internet entrepreneur has been living in New Zealand since 2010.
In 2012 the US indicted him and his associates, alleging he made his fortune by “running an international organized criminal enterprise allegedly responsible for massive worldwide online piracy” through the now defunct file hosting and sharing service. Washington has sought his extradition unsuccessfully since.
Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith confirmed his decision to EFE in a statement Thursday afternoon.
«I have received extensive advice from the Ministry of Justice on this matter. I considered all of the information carefully, and have decided that Mr Dotcom should be surrendered to the US to face trial.
«As is common practice, I have allowed Mr Dotcom a short period of time to consider and take advice on my decision. I will not, therefore, be commenting further at this stage.»
Dotcom, 50, appeared to have reported the news himself on Tuesday when he wrote in a long post on X that “the obedient US colony in the South Pacific just decided to extradite me for what users uploaded to Megaupload, unsolicited, and what copyright holders were able to remove with direct delete access instantly and without question. But who cares? That’s justice these day.”
He is expected to appeal the decision.
In 2012, police raided Dotcom’s Auckland mansion to arrest him and others connected to Megaupload, and he has fought his extradition since.
In 2014 he entered politics, funding the now defunct Internet Party which joined with Mana Movement for the 2014 election, and ran again in 2017 on its own. The party failed to win a seat on each occasion.
Dotcom lives in Queenstown with his second wife Elizabeth and their child, Dotcom’s sixth. EFE
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