Megaupload’s lead programmer is out on bail but banned from using the Internet

It’s been a month since the FBI raid of Megaupload took place, shutting the site down and arresting many of its top employees. One of the released employees is lead programmer Bram van der Kolk, and he spoke with the Sunday Star Times in New Zealand, where he is awaiting potential extradition to the United States.

According to the programmer, Megaupload didn’t see the US-led raid coming but feels like it has a solid defense:

I couldn’t believe it. I still can’t believe it … it doesn’t matter who the opponent is, if it’s the FBI or the American president himself, I’m still very confident we have a very strong case.

Van der Kolk, who is married with a two-year old-son and had never broken the law, told the Sunday Star Times that during his time in jail, he spoke to other inmates and encouraged them to get on the right track:

We were a little out of the ordinary in prison and it’s quite a harsh environment so [Corrections staff] tried to look after us.

Now that he’s out of jail, Netherlands-born van der Kolk is banned from using the Internet and only has access to a home phone to call his mom. While much has been documented about Megaupload CEO Kim Dotcom’s lavish lifestyle, the programmer describes himself as humble and hardworking. He’s also sad to see the site he worked so long on disappear.

The United States is currently going through proceedings to bring all of those arrested in New Zealand to its own soil, so that it can set up its case against the company for over $500M in copyright breach offenses.