26 Aug 2014

Crown defends Kim Dotcom warrants

8:30 pm on 26 August 2014

Crown lawyers say search warrants used to raid internet businessman Kim Dotcom's Coatesville mansion were correctly granted and the search was carried out properly.

Kim Dotcom is fighting a ruling that warrants used in the raid on his mansion were valid.

Kim Dotcom is fighting a ruling that warrants used in the raid on his mansion were valid. Photo: AFP

Mr Dotcom is asking the Supreme Court to overturn an earlier ruling that found the warrants used in the 2012 raid were lawful.

Yesterday, Kim Dotcom's lead lawyer Paul Davison argued that the warrants were too broad and amounted to a fishing expedition.

But Crown lawyer David Boldt told the court today that although the warrants were missing details, the judge that granted them had been given the full evidence.

Mr Boldt said the courts have been forgiving in the past of badly-drafted search warrants, if the reasons for issuing them were sound.

He said the FBI considered Mr Dotcom's entire Megaupload business to be illegal.

That meant the categories of items that were seized were very broad, because the search had to cover anything that could be connected with the business.

The court has reserved its finding.

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