The Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has finally begun legal action to seize the proceeds of David Hicks' memoir and has served him with a restraining order. The DPP received a report in December from the Australia Federal Police who investigated Hicks' proceeds from his book Guantanamo: My Journey. Neither Hicks nor his publisher Random House have disclosed just how much money the book has made since it was released earlier this year but industry estimates it could be as high as $350,000.
Issuing the restraining order is the first step in preventing money being spent or transferred before an application is made to seize the funds. He was released from Guantanamo Bay in 2007 and sent back to Australia to serve out the rest of his sentence after signing an agreement admitting that he had supported terrorism.
Dick Smith, who is a supporter of Hicks said "I'm absolutely amazed that the government could be so stupid because David Hicks has never been convicted in a proper court of any crime" he said. "So I suppose the advantage for David now will be that the issues can be seen in a proper court of law and I think that will be an advantage for him, that's what I always wanted."
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