In a statement made today, New Zealand Prime Minister John Key has apologized to Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom.
The apology came after a government report (pdf) found that the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB) had illegally intercepted communications by Dotcom despite the fact he was a permanent resident of the country and the agency is only authorized to deal with foreign threats.
Key's statement this afternoon reads (via One News):
"I apologize to Mr Dotcom, I apologise to New Zealanders because every New Zealander that sits within the category of having permanent residency or is a New Zealand citizen is entitled to be protected from the law when it comes to the GCSB, and we failed to provide that appropriate protection for him."
"My own view is the agency has let itself down very badly, it essentially failed at the most basic of hurdles, there are a number of times when it could have resolved the issue, and in fact New Zealanders were entitled to believe the agency would have performed a lot better."
Dotcom's mansion in New Zealand was raided earlier this year after a request by the FBI. Before the raid the GCSB gathered information even though it did not have the jurisdiction to do so. Key says that the police were mistakenly told Dotcom was a foreign national.
See also: The Case Against Kim Dotcom Is Looking Like A Complete Disaster >
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