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New Zealand First is expected to push for a formal inquiry into claims that threats were made against people involved in investigating the 2002 Tranz Rail deal linked to Sir Michael Fay and David Richwhite.
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has used parliamentary privilege to attack the two men since last week's settlement of a long-running insider trading case for $20 million.
Comments made by Mr Peters and Commerce Minister Lianne Dalziel in Parliament have cast a shadow over the settlement because they appear to suggest that pressure was put on behind the scenes to stop the case being pursued.
The claims remain a mystery, but Mr Peters asked in Parliament last week whether the Commerce Minister was aware of people involved in the case threatening somebody on the Securities Commission over their future contracts and employment.
It is understood New Zealand First is keen to look further into the matter, and it received some encouragement when Deputy Prime Minister Michael Cullen last week said the allegations raised by Mr Peters would be "a very serious matter indeed which would be worthy of further investigation".
Mr Peters declined to comment last night on what he might be planning.
Just what kind of inquiry or investigation could be set up is up for question, and Prime Minister Helen Clark yesterday said she did not have a view on that.
She said she was "certainly open" to something, but "we'd need to see what would justify that".
"I haven't looked at that closely enough. But suffice to say, you don't pay $20 million unless there's some good reason to," she said.
Sir Michael and Mr Richwhite settled the case without any admission of liability.
