US Officials are Biggest Megaupload Users
Beleaguered internet tycoon Kim Dotcom has claimed US officials were among the biggest users of his Megaupload website before it was shut down for alleged copyright infringement, the New Zealand Herald reports.
Megaupload founder Dotcom is out on bail at his Coatesville mansion while waiting for a hearing in which his fate -- whether he will be extradited to the US to face charges - will be revealed.
Dotcom and his associates, Mathias Ortmann, Bran van der Kolk and Finn Batato, are accused of breaching international copyright laws to the value of US$500 million.
Megaupload was shut down in January, soon after the four were arrested.
Website TorrentFreak reports Dotcom is attempting to "reunite" former Megaupload users with data they download from the site. In the process, Dotcom found that many US Government officials held Megaupload accounts.
"Guess what - we found a large number of Mega accounts from US Government officials including the Department of Justice and the US Senate."
"I hope we will soon have permission to give them and the rest of our users access to their files," Dotcom told TorrentFreak.
US prosecutors allege Dotcom and his associates used Megaupload to carry out a "mega conspiracy." They face charges of conspiring to commit racketeering, conspiring to commit money-laundering, copyright infringement and aiding and abetting copyright infringement.
A date for the extradition hearing has been set down in August.