- Megaupload illicitly obtained income of about 175 million dollars by hosting illegal material.
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| Kim Dotcom, the founder of Megaupload, speaks to the press, in an image from 2012. |
Kim Dotcom, the founder of the closed Megaupload portal, has been left alone in the fight against his extradition to the United States for hacking and other charges after two of his former partners pleaded guilty to similar crimes this Wednesday in New Zealand.
These are Bram van der Kolk and Mathias Ortman, who are on probation and accepted, before the Auckland High Court, for their participation in a criminal organization and crimes such as harming third parties through deception, among other charges.
As reported by the portal of the New Zealand Herald newspaper, the judge presiding over the court, Sally Fitzgerald, will issue her ruling next October. However, by admitting responsibility, Van der Kolk and Ortman escape extradition to the United States, where they are also accused of hacking and other crimes.
Dotcom's lawyer, Ron Mansfield, has indicated that he was unaware that Van der Kolk and Orthmann were going to plead guilty and has assured that he will continue to defend the innocence of his client, who is on the verge of being extradited.
The case
In 2012, Dotcom, Van der Kok, Ortmann, and Finn Batato, who died more than a week ago of cancer, were arrested in New Zealand after a vast police operation orchestrated by the American FBI in the mansion rented by the German computer scientist in the outside of Auckland.
Next, the United States requested the extradition of the four, which opened a long legal battle in the oceanic country.
Last year, the New Zealand High Court rejected Dotcom's last appeal paving the way for his extradition, whose execution is currently in the hands of New Zealand Justice Minister Kiri Allan.
The US authorities maintain that Megaupload illicitly obtained income of some 175 million US dollars (currently 167 million euros) by hosting illegal material among its 50 million users.