New Zealand Prime Minister John Key has apologized to Kim Dotcom after a report from the Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security found that the government illegally monitored the Megaupload founder. The Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) carried out surveillance on Dotcom, but did not check out his residency status, instead relying on incorrect information supplied by the police. (via New Zealand Prime Minister Apologizes To Kim Dotcom | TorrentFreak)
- “Of course I apologize to Mr Dotcom, and I apologize to New Zealanders.”
- These were the humbling words of New Zealand Prime Minister John Key today after a report from Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security Paul Neazor found that a NZ security service did indeed wrongfully spy on Kim Dotcom and associate Bram van der Kolk.
- In a media conference following the release of the report, Key said that New Zealanders had a right to be protected by the law and that the government had “failed to provide that protection to them.”
- The findings of the report, commissioned by the Prime Minister on September 17, were released this morning and are a clear embarrassment to the government.
- But whatever the case, according to a document published by ComputerWorld, police clearly knew of Dotcom’s residency status when they compiled a planning document known as the “Blue Folder” in which help from the anti-terrorist Special Tactics Group was requested.
