Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom has been dealt another blow to his fight against extradition to the US on online piracy charges, with New Zealand’s Supreme Court rejecting his appeal to access evidence to be presented at the hearing.

In a 4-1 ruling, the Supreme Court denied a bid by Dotcom and three of his colleagues, who are also facing extradition, to have access to all the US evidence against them at their July extradition hearing. Chief Justice Sian Ellias cast the dissenting vote.

The court agreed with a previous ruling that extensive disclosure could slow down the process and a summary of the US case would suffice. The court found that New Zealand’s Extradition Act does not require foreign countries to provide such disclosure.

In a tweet responding to the decision, Dotcom said: “It’s disappointing that we lost in the Supreme Court by majority decision.

The ruling follows a February ruling the search warrant used in the arrest was legal. The New Zealand government – encouraged by US agencies – successfully appealed a 2012 ruling that police used illegal warrants when they arrested Dotcom at his Auckland mansion in January 2012 and seized laptops and hard drives. Dotcom is appealing that decision

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