Staff from Office Assignee move to secure Dotcom assets

By Hannah Lynch

Feb. 9 (BusinessDesk) – The Official Assignee Office, responsible for insolvency and trustee services, is working to secure Kim Dotcom’s assets from his $4.3 million family home seized by New Zealand authorities.

Dotcom, the founder of file-sharing site megaupload.com, was arrested in Auckland last month as part of an operation led by the US Department of Justice targeting large scale criminal copyright infringement and money laundering. He was arrested along with four others by the Organised & Financial Crime Agency New Zealand and the New Zealand Police, after a request was made by the United States to arrest extradite the parties.

Guy Sayers, proceeds of crime manager at the Official Assignee, said Dotcom owns two Coatesville properties, while a third was rented for his staff. Sayers estimated the value of the rental property to be about $5 million.

“The reason why we are up their today is to help them shift their stuff,” Sayers said. “What they (my staff) are doing is carrying on their duties under the order of the court – there are still some items that need to be restrained.”

“We are just carrying out the normal process under the court order – and trying to keep people calm,” he said.

The Official Assignee confirmed a new restraining order had been granted over the property on Feb. 1.

Dotcom’s business has been shut down in the US and his bank accounts have been frozen. He has disclosed an account with $300,000 in it as a sign of good faith.

(BusinessDesk)

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