By 3 News online staff
Megaupload founder and internet tycoon Kim Dotcom walked into his court hearing in Auckland with a stern message for the Government and those who spied on him.
“The New Zealand Government is underestimating the sophistication of New Zealanders, of their media, and especially of the courts,” he says.
Dotcom and his legal team are back at the High Court seeking more information about the Government’s illegal surveillance of him and his associates.
Details of the Government Communications Security Bureau’s spying are expected to be revealed at the hearing.
“The courts in New Zealand are dealing with lies, cover-ups and fake stories on a daily basis and they will see straight through this,” says Dotcom.
Dotcom and wife Mona are seated in a packed out public gallery and his Megaupload co-accused are also in attendance.
The GCSB is facing an inquiry after it spied on the German national who is facing extradition for alleged internet piracy and money laundering.
It is allowed to intercept the communications of foreigners without permission - but not New Zealand citizens or residents.
Dotcom's lawyers will today question why surveillance went ahead and who is to blame for the stuff up.
The mistake is the latest in a series of legal blunders relating to the case.
Dotcom’s lawyer is accusing the Crown of not providing sufficient information through the entire case.
The Crown responded by assuring them that more effort would be made to provide more information.
Justice Helen Winkelmann says the entire proceeding was moving too slowly and wanted some definitive timelines set.
Yesterday it was revealed Deputy Prime Minister Bill English knew about the operation before Prime Minister John Key, but didn't pass on the information.
Mr English isn't commenting on the development, saying he wouldn't want to give the sense he can recall details that he can't.
Labour questions Dotcom investigation
The Labour Party has this morning called into question Prime Minister John Key’s leadership of a Government ministry, after it was revealed police wrongly informed a national intelligence agency it was allowed to spy Dotcom, despite the fact he had celebrated his New Zealand residency with a huge fireworks show.
Mr Key has launched an investigation into the case, but Labour leader David Shearer has criticised the move as a way for Mr Key to avoid discussing it.
"The only problem with the inquiry of course is John Key gets to hide behind the inquiry and obviously some of the details may not come out," Mr Shearer told Firstline this morning.
Mr Shearer’s beliefs appear to be correct, as Mr Key refused to answer questions on the situation in Parliament yesterday afternoon.
"Wait for the report before jumping to conclusions," Mr Key told Parliament yesterday as he fended off a torrent of questions.
The Opposition leader says Mr Key must take responsibility for the GCSB’s actions, as he is in charge of the ministry.
Mr Shearer called Mr Key’s claims of not knowing about the investigation into Dotcom “ridiculous” – saying the Prime Minister met with GCSB 15 times last year and it would be “remarkable” for the issue to not have been raised
3 News
source: newshub archive
