KEY POINTS:
Winston Peters' lawyer today had a "cordial" meeting with the Serious Fraud Office and left saying he had confidence in the top-level investigation into NZ First finances.
Mr Peters yesterday stepped aside as Foreign Affairs Minister until the outcome of the SFO investigation into the fate of donations made to his party is known.
Before the meeting Mr Peters' lawyer, Peter Williams QC, said he would hand over documents which showed donations to the party were used as intended.
He said he had seen a statement from the Spencer Trust, which received the donations, which revealed the money was used as intended and he would be handing it to senior SFO executive Gib Beattie at this morning's meeting in Auckland.
The statement was issued by Mr Peters' brother, Wayne Peters, a Whangarei lawyer and Spencer Trust administrator.
He said the SFO originally wanted to see him on Monday, but he did not want the matter dragging on through the weekend.
The SFO decided to hold the inquiry after examining information which director Grant Liddell said led him to suspect there might be a case of "serious and complex" fraud.
Allegations include one involving a $25,000 donation from Sir Robert Jones, and others involve several cheques from the wealthy Vela family, were not used for the purposes the donors intended.
But Mr Williams said he already knew there was no case to answer.
He said he had seen the financial records of the Spencer Trust, the fund into which the cheques were paid, and it was clearly shown that the money was used by the party for the purposes the donors intended.
"It is all above board, absolutely above board," Mr Williams said.
He said Mr Peters had been the subject of a witchhunt by a number of journalists and politicians, and was completely innocent of any wrongdoing.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, Mr Williams said that the SFO had bungled its inquiry by not asking to see the Spencer Trust books.
However, as he left the half-hour meeting he described it as "cordial" and said he had confidence in SFO.
If the investigation clears the New Zealand First Party of allegations that donations were misused, Mr Peters is expected to seek reinstatement as foreign minister.
If it doesn't, he will have no further role in the present government or the next, and his campaign for re-election will be seriously compromised.
Meanwhile, Parliament's privileges committee has invited Mr Peters, lawyer Brian Henry, and expatriate businessman Owen Glenn to give evidence next week.
The committee is considering whether Mr Peters should have declared a $100,000 donation from Mr Glenn towards legal bills in 2005.
The committee is expected to hold a closed three-hour session on Thursday morning.
National Party leader John Key, who has virtually barred Mr Peters from the next government if he wins the election, said that if documents could clear up the matter quickly, Mr Peters would have presented that information months ago.
- NZPA
