Make 'em an offer they can't refuse

Kim Dotcom is talking deals; the Herald reports:

Kim Dotcom has offered the FBI a deal over extradition while revealing unpaid legal bills worth "millions of dollars".

The mounting pressure of the legal fight was revealed as it emerged the FBI was planning on extraditing Dotcom using information gained through the illegal search of his New Zealand home.

Yesterday, it was announced by the court that the extradition case on charges of criminal copyright violation stemming from the Megaupload filesharing website had been shifted from next month to next year.

This whole case does seem to be moving at a snail's pace; so kudos to Dotcom for laying down the gauntlet to the FBI; read on:

Dotcom told the Herald the delays in the case were placing pressure on his ability to defend against the charges. "They are sitting on all my money. I have no money to pay my lawyers. Every move they make, they know I have to send my lawyers there. They make it so I have no chance in the long run to defend myself. Lawyers need money too."

The FBI used legal orders in New Zealand and around the world to freeze assets and cash belonging to Dotcom and the three co-accused, claiming it came from the proceeds of crime.

Dotcom said his legal bills were huge with 22 lawyers working on the case in different countries.

"I have accumulated millions of dollars in legal bills and I haven't been able to pay a single cent. They just want to hang me out to dry and wait until there is no support left."

He said he would willingly go to the US if he and his co-defendants were given a guarantee of a fair trial, money to pay for a defence and funds to support themselves and their families.

"They will never agree to this and that is because they can't win this case and they know that already."

It's certainly an interesting strategy by the big fella. It will be interesting to see whether the FBI takes him up on this deal.

And isn't it nice to know that Mr Dotcom is such a good citizen that he wants to pay his legal bills? Sheesh; the cynic in us wonders whether his lawyers might have planted the seed as a way of getting paid!