ACT leader Rodney Hide says he has given fresh evidence to the Serious Fraud Office (SFO) regarding Winston Peters' behaviour during a parliamentary inquiry into the scampi fishery several years ago.
Mr Hide met with SFO investigators yesterday and provided them with the evidence, which he says was passed on to him this week.
The SFO is considering whether to investigate what happened to several undeclared donations to NZ First and Mr Peters. They include a $25,000 donation from Sir Robert Jones, made out to the Spencer Trust, a $100,000 donation to Mr Peters' legal bills from expatriate billionaire Owen Glenn, multiple donations from the wealthy Vela family and claims in The Dominion Post of a cheque from fishing company Simunovich.
That company was at the centre of a parliamentary committee inquiry into the allocation of quota for a crustacean called scampi. The 2003 inquiry stemmed from a series of legal cases brought against Simunovich by other fishing companies, along with darker allegations of corruption and bribery.
One of the original accusers was Mr Peters, but he later recanted, saying the corruption claims did not stand up to scrutiny.
The committee cleared Simunovich of wrongdoing.
Mr Hide said the evidence he had passed on related to Mr Peters' behaviour at the time.
"It related to the scampi inquiry that was done by the select committee some years ago when Winston Peters did a total 180 degree about face." Mr Hide refused to give further details of the evidence, but said it had not previously been in the public domain.
In Parliament last week Mr Peters would not confirm or deny that he or NZ First had received money from Simunovich, despite earlier denials in 2004 that any money had changed hands.
The company also told the 2003 inquiry that it had not provided campaign funds to Mr Peters.
The SFO is still considering Mr Hide's complaint and has not begun a formal investigation using its statutory powers that can compel people to produce documents or answer questions.
A spokesman for Mr Peters yesterday said he had not heard from the SFO. Brian Henry, the lawyer who put a $100,000 donation from Mr Glenn towards Mr Peters' legal bills without telling him, said he not been contacted by the SFO either.
Mr Peters' brother Wayne Peters, the Whangarei lawyer who administers the Spencer Trust, yesterday said he had not heard from the SFO.
Sir Robert met investigators last week.
Mr Peters will also be called before Parliament's privileges committee on Monday to answer complaints he broke Parliament's rules by failing to declare the $100,000 donation.
