Dotcom extradition hearing on despite plea

Name: Raw: Kim Dotcom arrives at court
Uploaded: 2015-09-21T09:39:54+12:00
Duration: 38 s
Description: Kim Dotcom goes to court today for an extradition hearing almost four years in the making, even as the Government continues to mull over deporting him anyway. The long-awaited extradition case follows FBI charges laid in January 2012 when the internet entrepreneur and three others were arrested on charges of criminal copyright violation.

NZ Herald

22 Sep, 2015 05:00 PM2 mins to read

Kim Dotcom goes to court today for an extradition hearing almost four years in the making, even as the Government continues to mull over deporting him anyway. The long-awaited extradition case follows FBI charges laid in January 2012 when the internet entrepreneur and three others were arrested on charges of criminal copyright violation.

Kim Dotcom's extradition hearing will go ahead this week despite his protestations it should be delayed.

A hearing was held at Auckland District Court to determine the structure of proceedings over the next four weeks.

"The views of the parties are diametrically opposed," Judge Nevin Dawson said in a judgment.

The United States Government - represented by Crown Law - argued the extradition eligibility hearing should be heard first before multiple applications by the defendants for a stay of proceedings.

Dotcom, with Mathias Ortmann, Bram van der Kolk and Finn Batato, filed material with the court alleging unlawful and unreasonable conduct by the US.

Their lawyers told the court the extradition hearing was unfair because the Crown had deliberately restricted them from accessing funds to retain the services of US legal and technical experts.

Judge Dawson said the court had to balance the principles of the delivery of justice in a timely manner with the right of the parties to a fair hearing.

"This case has now been before this court for over three and a half years ... It is now the 10th time this case has been set down for hearing," Judge Dawson said.

The judge said the "interlocutory applications" by the defendants could be heard during the extradition hearing, rather than beforehand.

"The court would be better placed to rule on these applications having had the benefit of hearing the evidence of the eligibility hearing," Judge Dawson said.

The US Government's bid to extradite Dotcom will begin tomorrow.