Court puts Kim Dotcom on 80km leash
KIM DOTCOM will be back in court next week for a hearing after new restrictions were placed on his bail.
The temporary restrictions imposed by Judge Nevin Dawson in the Auckland District Court yesterday included banning the use of helicopters and boat or sea travel.
Dotcom was also banned from travelling more than 80 kilometres from his Coatesville mansion and ordered to report to police daily.
The new issues, which would be dealt with at next week’s court appearance, followed the judge’s decision to allow the internet mogul’s lawyers to withdraw from his case.
Dotcom,
who
was
in
court yesterday, would not say why his long-standing lawyers at Simpson Grierson, including Paul Davison, QC, had decided to step down from his extradition case.
Simpson Grierson partners William Akel and Tracey Walker had been acting for Dotcom on a different case he is facing from Hollywood music and movie studios.
Dotcom’s United States lawyer, Ira Rothken, said Simpson Grierson’s withdrawal from the case posed a ‘‘difficult challenge’’.
The lawsuit was the largest copyright case in US and New Zealand history, Rothken said.
‘‘We have a file that’s over 100 metres long and 2 and a half years of proceedings.’’
It would take a while to find a replacement law firm and for it to become familiar with the case, he said.
The judge granted leave to delay Dotcom’s extradition hearing further and the case is now scheduled to be heard in June.
Dotcom was quiet outside court, refusing to comment.
However, in his usual style he took to Twitter.
‘‘This year was a total disaster. I have taken many punches. But I won’t break.
‘‘I will keep going through this hell for my kids. Count on it.’’