29 june 2012
MEDIA STATEMENT: CROWN LAW OFFICE
Kim Dotcom Matters
There has been a degree of confusion in the media as to certain aspects of justice Winkelmann’s decision, yesterday,
holding that a number of search Warrants executed in the Dotcom matter were illegal.
A remedies hearing is still to be held, and no orders have yet been made with respect to the items seized or any copies
of them. The matter remains sub judice, and Crown Law will not be commenting on the substance of the decision.
Yesterday’s decision related to search warrants executed in New Zealand under the “mutual assistance in criminal
matters” process to obtain evidence on behalf of the US authorities for the purpose of their investigation and
prosecution. Mutual assistance is a separate process from extradition. The United States, via the extradition process,
has also provided the New Zealand authorides with a request for extradition. As it stands, that request does not include
evidence obtained in New Zealand.
ENDS