Megaupload's Kim Dotcom suffers setback in US extradition bid
A New Zealand court ruled on Friday that the United States does not have to hand over all its evidence against Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom, a setback for the German national in a U.S. bid to extradite him for alleged online piracy, fraud and money laundering.
The Court of Appeal overturned a lower court ruling that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) should disclose all its evidence so Dotcom, released on bail last February, could fairly contest the case against him.
The FBI accuses Dotcom, who founded the Megaupload file-sharing site which housed everything from family photos to blockbuster films, of leading a group that netted $175 million since 2005 by copying and distributing copyrighted content without authorisation.
Lower courts had ruled twice that Dotcom should have access to all material the FBI was basing its extradition case on.
The Court of Appeal said the U.S. government had a duty of "candour and good faith" in making an extradition bid, but a summary of the evidence held would suffice.
"It is for the requesting state to decide what information it wishes to put before the requested state in support of its request," the court said.
It said there were safeguards for any accused, such as the New Zealand courts and government seeking more information if they are not satisfied there is a prima facie case to be answered.
Dotcom maintains that Megaupload, one of the world's most popular websites before it was shut down in January last year, simply provided online storage services and should not be
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