Some news about Kim Dotcom - Megaupload

Still in jail in NZ Kim dotcom had to celebrate his 38 birthday behind bars. I guess there was no champagne. Today (yesterday...) was a hearing again in court - the decision if he and the others will be granted bail was adjourned to Wednesday 25.01.

Here the full story from stuff.co.nz - click it ! The photo cannot be copied so please use the link.
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Courtroom circus over Dotcom appearance
KIRSTY JOHNSTON
A quiet court erupted into circus-like chaos yesterday as the Mega Conspiracy accused made a plea for freedom and asserted their innocence.

Cyber-tycoon Kim Dotcom, 37, and his three alleged co-conspirators appeared in North Shore District Court for a day of legal ping-pong with little resolution.

At the end of a day of argument, spectacle and some confusion, Judge David McNaughton reserved his decision as to whether or not Dotcom should be released on bail.

The four were arrested in a dramatic FBI-led police raid on the German millionaire's Auckland mansion on Friday, with the US Government planning to extradite them and lay charges of racketeering, money laundering and three types of copyright infringement.

US authorities claim that Megaupload - a repository for films, TV shows and books, where users could watch content without charge - and its sister sites made more than US$175 million in criminal proceeds and cost copyright owners more than US$500m.

Dotcom has denied any wrongdoing.

Ringside seats to the courtroom drama yesterday were packed full of the men's supporters, forcing media from New Zealand and around the world to sprawl onto the floor, along the walls and even into the witness box.

The hearing provided further revelations into Dotcom's luxury lifestyle.

Defence lawyer Paul Davison detailed how some passports were found in a bed his client ''used for work purposes'' while the Crown brought its own set of evidence in an attempt to prove the accused posed an ''extreme'' flight risk.

At one point, an arms officer brought an allegedly modified shotgun into court in a paper package.

''I don't think it's necessary for you to be in here with the firearm in a package,'' Judge McNaughton said, asking the officer to leave.

The judge began the day by asking media to leave the court, causing a ruckus when some refused.

When the hearing finally began, only Dotcom was dealt with. Sitting in a chair seeming far too small for his black-clothed bulk, Dotcom sat quietly for most of the day, smirking occasionally when his lawyer made a good point.

A grin almost slipped out when Davison, in summing up, described his final reason why Dotcom should be set free.

''It won't escape the court's notice that Mr Dotcom is a man with a distinct [look], he's not the kind of man who is going to pass unnoticed through controls and checks without being readily identifiable.''

The arguments centred around a number of main points listed by Crown lawyer Anne Toohey as Dotcom's lack of respect for authorities, ready access to wealth, multiple aliases, access to a firearm, access to transport and alleged likeliness of reoffending.

Toohey described how Dotcom had several passports - Finnish, New Zealand and German - in different names.

He also had multiple credit cards, all discovered in the raid.

There were six in one wallet, 19 in another and ten in another. These were all in a variety of names, including the first name ''Tim'' rather than Kim, she said.

Davison counter-argued that his client ''collected'' the cards, and they were of no consequence.

The prosecution also gave details of the gun found in the panic room at the mansion. The gun, discovered in a safe just metres from where police arrested Dotcom sitting on the ground behind a pillar in his safe room, was a type never seen before by arms experts in New Zealand.

Defence lawyers said the gun was loaded only with a rubber bullet but Toohey said it was also loaded with buckshot.

She said a police arms officer believed the weapon had been modified.

''It couldn't be cut off any further back because of the position of the magazine,'' she said.

To get a license for that type of gun in New Zealand it would have had to be granted a permit. The arms officer didn't believe that would happen.

It was at that point the officer entered the courtroom with the gun, to be swiftly escorted out.

Also attracting attention during the hearing was Dotcom's previous altercation with the German and Thai authorities during 2002.

The Crown argued Dotcom had been arrested and deported from Thailand, while the defence said he willingly went back to Germany with police.

At the conclusion or proceedings, Judge McNaughton decided he needed more time to consider the bail application, and said he would make a written judgement as early as today.

Dotcom would remain in custody till then.

Bram van der Kolk, Mathias Ortmann, Finn Batato, who were arrested alongside Dotcom on Friday, were also remanded in custody, and will reappear on Wednesday.

The decision brought a flood of emotion from the gallery, with family members and friends rushing to say a quick word to their loved-ones before they were ushered back into custody.

One woman rushed up to touch her partner's hand, while he mouthed at her ''I love you''.

Other family, including teenage girls, were reduced to tears outside.

Dotcom's wife, said to be heavily pregnant with twins, was not present.
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