KEY POINTS:
Another undeclared donation to New Zealand First has been reported as the Serious Fraud Office considers whether to investigate the party.
The Dominion Post said today it had a deposit slip showing $19,998 was deposited in one or more cheques into the party's coffers in December 1999.
Electoral Commission records for 1999 show NZ First did not declare any donations of more than $10,000, the threshold for disclosure.
Questions have also been raised about an undeclared $100,000 donation to the party from billionaire Owen Glenn, cheques from the Vela family which were made out in amounts just under the $10,000 threshold, and a $25,000 donation from Sir Robert Jones which was banked into a secret fund called the Spencer Trust.
SFO director Grant Liddell yesterday said he would consider launching an investigation
following a complaint from ACT leader Rodney Hide.
Mr Liddell said in a statement that before he could start an investigation he needed to be satisfied he had reason to suspect there was serious or complex fraud.
The SFO would assess the complaint and decide if an investigation was warranted.
The assessment process would start immediately but could take several weeks.
"The process involves considering the complaint and relevant available documentary or other material," he said.
"The complaint involves a matter of legitimate public interest which warrants prompt consideration."
Mr Hide has already asked Speaker Margaret Wilson for a privileges committee inquiry and she has not yet announced her decision.
In Parliament yesterday, Mr Peters launched a bizarre attack on the media saying they, like the Queen in Alice in Wonderland, believed in impossible things.
"If you don't think, if you don't know the facts ... then you should not talk," he said referring to the Mad Hatter's Tea Party.
However, facts were few on the ground: "I have simply refused to answer stupid questions," Mr Peters said.
"What you've seen in recent weeks is New Zealand's neutron news destroy the facts but keep the egos of the media intact."
In Parliament yesterday National's Gerry Brownlee said Mr Peters had previously promised to front up and answer questions about the donations.
"Why is it so hard for NZ First to answer questions?... In the vacuum of information that we've got all we can do is surmise."
Prime Minister Helen Clark said after a meeting with Mr Peters on Tuesday she accepted his assurances no laws had been broken and yesterday said she retained confidence in him.
Mr Peters holds the foreign affairs, racing and associate senior citizens portfolios.
Labour counter-attacks focused on National getting large donations which it funnelled through trusts.
While Mr Peters avoided talking to the media yesterday he gave two speeches. He told a Wellington Grey Power audience forces of darkness were conspiring against his party he was the victim of a "politically motivated smear campaign".
NZ First had fought for 20 years but now "faceless backers of privatisation" were ready to attack.
"They are behind this campaign of character assassination today. Few journalists know it. They want to manipulate who is in government for their own purposes. And they will always exact a price for their support."
- NZPA
