KEY POINTS:
MPs have been anonymously tipped off that a rich individual was behind leaks of former National Party leader Don Brash's personal emails, former ACT leader Richard Prebble says.
Police are investigating after hundreds of Dr Brash's emails made it into the public arena.
Dr Brash believed they were stolen from his personal computer.
Some of his emails have been published in Nicky Hager's book The Hollow Men.
Hager has said previously that documents he used came from six disaffected National Party members.
In his latest newsletter, Mr Prebble said MPs had received "anonymous tipoffs that it has nothing to do with party politics but is the work of a rich individual, from the Bay of Plenty, who has an obsession with the Reserve Bank and has paid private investigators a bucket load of money to obtain the documents".
Mr Prebble also said that Auckland businesswoman Diane Foreman believed her house had been broken into and searched.
Ms Foreman, identified this year as the woman alleged to have had an affair with Dr Brash, has complained to police about information in Hager's book, which she said could not have come from any email.
Ms Foreman is frequently mentioned in the book as a friend and adviser to Dr Brash.
Dr Brash told NZPA he had heard the rumour that a rich individual was behind the leak of his emails but he was keeping an open mind over the source.
"I've heard the rumour, yes, but frankly of course I don't know whether there's any truth in it or not.
"The police are still investigating the matter. I'm very much looking forward to their reaching a conclusion.
"One thing I'm absolutely sure of is that Mr Hager's claim that his information came from six disaffected National Party members close to my office is absolutely wrong so I'm looking forward to some kind of prosecution against someone whose clearly been engaged in some kind of criminal activity."
Dr Brash said he and National's Chief of Staff Wayne Eagleson met with police last Thursday for an update of their investigation.
"The police, I think, are taking the matter very seriously as is totally appropriate. This is espionage on a grand scale and no Member of Parliament should feel comfortable with the situation as it is now."
Police had not said how close they were to completing their investigation.
- NZPA
- NZPA
