But it would be crazy if he really holds seveal hundred thousands of bitcoins, which ATO might be going for now.
ATO was investigating/working with Craig in parralel. #1 - because of the bitcoin phenomena, as a gov't they have the responsibility to set the correct precedent. Craig was starting up a huge bank. Doing it properly also - sort of like Circle in the U.S. (by that I mean that Dynarius Bnk was being set up according to proper rules/regs.)
If you read one of the referenced transcripts, you will see that as the discussion/decision regarding the "Nature of Bitcoin" decision was evolving - you will see that teh very real possibility that one outcome would be that a REFUND from Gov't to Craig/Dynarius was a real possibility. You will also see that they not only supported the advancement of the bank, they wee working very hard to get through the mandatory process of setting a firm foundation/definition of how to treat bitcoin - so that they could free up Craig to continue the project as quickly as possible. (READ the transcript - it is all there)
But unless I missed something, at no time was there a realization by ATO that Craig was actually Satoshi. They were dealing with Huge amounts of Bitcoin, but they were looking at it as investment, trying to figure out what it meant to transfer say 30,000 Bitcoins from Wallet 1 to Wallet 2, and if that defined a change in ownership, how that applied to tax, cross border transactions etc.
WHEN the Craig = Satoshi news broke, they realized that the guy they had been working with was MUCH bigger (in potential amount of bitcoins) than they had previously been aware of.
Craig has now already pretty much concluded his "negotiations" with ATO to a degree that his future activity with the previously undisclosed bitcoins is now covered/protected by the conclusion of previous negotiation.
But of course it is never as simple as one thinks when dealing with Governments, and now Craig is based in London, with moves to Iceland. Could be ATO is simply "making a show", or it could be they are feeling hoodwinked.
Craig does have a law degree
The "Satoshi stash" is probably now protected legally, and available to openly be used to supply all the necessary reserves for his new Bitcoin bank. Just a thought