A law expert says the "big question" is whether embattled MP Todd Barclay will cooperate with police now they have reopened their investigation.
University of Otago law professor Andrew Geddis was commenting after police announced they were were re-investigating the allegations the Clutha-Southland MP secretly recorded employees at his Gore electorate office.
Assistant Commissioner Richard Chambers made the announcement today.
"Police has commenced a re-investigation of allegations that the private communications of an individual were intercepted by Mr Todd Barclay MP,'' Chambers said.
"This follows assessment of a range of information and comment in the public domain over the last week.
"Police have commenced speaking to a number of individuals who may have relevant information.
"Any new evidence which is gathered will be carefully considered to determine what, if any impact it has on the outcome of the original investigation.
"This will be a thorough process with oversight from a senior detective, however, at this stage we are unable to put a timeframe on how long it might take.''
Prof Geddis said the big question was whether Mr Barclay would co-operate with police this time.
The police investigation file released to the Otago Daily Times under the Official Information Act in March revealed Mr Barclay declined during the initial investigation despite earlier telling the ODT he would fully co-operate.
Prof Geddis believed given Mr Barclay's political career appeared to have ended Mr Barclay would once again refuse to co-operate.
"I suspect he will take legal advice and decline.
"Put it this way if I was Mr Barclay's lawyer I would be strongly advising him not to speak.''
He was surprised that police had re-opened the investigation.
"I was on the record as saying I didn't think they would re-open it, because I wasn't sure what new evidence had come out in the last few days.
"It seemed to me that everything was being reported was coming from essentially the police files themselves or from individuals who had already been interviewed by police.
"So you would assume that police already had their version of events.''
Police closed the initial investigation last year after 10 months when Barclay refused to be interviewed by investigating officers.
It was determined there was insufficient evidence to proceed with prosecution or to execute search warrants seeking the alleged recording device.
The allegations, which were broken by the Otago Daily Times, became a political scandal when the woman at the centre of the allegations, Glenys Dickson, spoke to national media about the issue.
She worked for Barclay's predecessor, Prime Minister Bill English, for years before becoming embroiled in what Barclay has labelled an employment dispute.
Dickson received a payout after leaving the Gore office last year following 18 years in the job.
It is claimed Barclay recorded Ms Dickson using a dictaphone, which was left in her office.
Last year, Barclay told the ODT he would "co-operate fully'' with any police investigation into the matter. However, he refused to be interviewed by police.
It emerged this month Barclay offered to play the tape at the centre of the controversy to the Prime Minister, despite denying its existence to the media.
Following the furore over the scandal, Barclay announced he would not be seeking re-election and would be stepping down at September's election.
It is illegal to intentionally intercept private communications you are not a party to.
Mr English told the NZ Herald he would fully co-operate if police re-opened the investigation, and had not sought legal advice.
