Dotcom: I'll go back to the US to face charges

Kim Dotcom has told The Guardian he will voluntarily return to the US to face charges.

But there's one condition: he regains access to bank accounts frozen by the courts.

Kim told the UK paper he has 22 lawyers working for him in various countries. He has told other media his unpaid legal bills now amount to millions – and they are going to mount up further with his extradition hearing now delayed six months until March.

He also needs money for living expenses. However, he is not expecting a response from US authorities, let alone one in the affirmative.

Kim seems to be swinging from bouts of optimism to pessimism.

But his legal bills are certainly a real concern. Having one of our most expensive lawyers – possibly the most expensive (Paul Davison QC) on his New Zealand legal team probably won't give him much change, if any, from a million dollars by March.

And that is just one example. Simpson Grierson senior partner Willy Akel won't come cheap, either.

Another issue: last week he told NBR he owes 48 local contractors "over $500,000 ... I would pay them tomorrow if the NZ government would make my assets available".

"I can't even pay my lawyers while the US government and Crown Law are spending millions to fight me."

A source close to the case told NBR this is no idle boast - Dotcom hasn't paid Mr Akel, Mr Davison or others on his legal team a cent.

The High Court has granted him a living allowance of around $60,000 a month, including access to interest on $10 million in NZ government bonds.

Surely some of that could stretch to paying the legal team a little something? No, says the source, it all goes on running the Dotcom household.

But with legal bills piling up, Dotcom told NBR the case was taking a financial toll. "I can't keep this up for long," he said.

Then again, if you maintain a butler and a person videographer – as seen at the now world-famous #swimatkims – you can only be hurting so much.

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Dotcom: I'll go back to the US to face charges – on one condition

10 questions with Kim Dotcom

10 questions with Kim Dotcom