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An Auckland court on Monday rejected allegations
that Dotcom, the founder of the Megaupload online file storage
site, was a flight risk and had broken the terms of his bail
conditions imposed after flamboyant internet entrepreneur was
arrested by U.S. and New Zealand authorities in early 2012.
While Dotcom, a German national and New Zealand resident, was
free to return to his sprawling mansion in Auckland, his bail
conditions were tightened to prevent him from traveling by
helicopter and require him to report to police twice a week.
"I have been probably the most compliant and exemplary (bail)
candidate," Dotcom told reporters outside the court, while
adding that he was surprised that his bail conditions had been
tightened.
Dotcom, who also goes by the name of Kim Schmitz, is accused of
massive copyright infringement related to the Megaupload file
sharing site he founded in 2005. He faces an extradition hearing
in mid-2015.
Set up in 2005, Megaupload accounted for around 4 percent of
total traffic on the internet in its heyday as users stored and
shared files containing everything from wedding videos to
Hollywood films.
Last week, Dotcom said his nearly three-year fight against
extradition had left him broke.
(Reporting by Naomi Tajitsu; Editing by Nick Macfie)
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