kim dotcom extradition hearing
Kim Dotcom had £26m of assets seized by Hong Kong customs officers in 2012 at the request of the US government Getty Images

Tech entrepreneur Kim Dotcom has been granted access to his Hong Kong assets in order to cover the legal fees of his extradition hearing, according to reports. German-born Dotcom faces the prospect of being extradited from New Zealand to the US to stand trial for copyright infringement, which allegedly earned him $175m (£116m) in 2012.

More than HK$300m (£26m) of Dotcom's assets were seized by Hong Kong customs officers at the request of the US government.

The South China Morning Post reported that Hong Kong deputy judge Wilson Chan Ka-Shun said the tech entrepreneur was entitled to his assets after adequately disclosing his financial situation to a New Zealand court. The judge said: "I am satisfied that Dotcom is not able to meet his own [expenses]."

In response to the ruling, Dotcom tweeted: "I love Hong Kong and I miss Hong Kong very much. Best city in the world."

A ruling by a New Zealand court means Dotcom will be allowed to access NZ$80,000 (£35,000) per month for his living expenses, which includes the rent on his mansion.

Since legal proceedings began, Dotcom has had to cut back on what has been described by prosecutor Wayne Walsh as a "Rolls-Royce lifestyle". Local reports suggest Dotcom may be moving out of his mansion and into a penthouse apartment.

"I fought hard to be able to retain this for my family," Dotcom told the New Zealand Herald in November. "When I couldn't do it with the court funds that were made available I started a new business and I built that primarily to be able to pay my legal fees and be able to keep this home for my family.

"[The apartment is] significantly more humble than what I am used to but that's OK. I am also not living with a partner any more, we have reduced our staff numbers significantly and this place feels a little bit big now."

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