Serious Fraud Office investigators have interviewed Act leader Rodney Hide, who says he provided them with new evidence against New Zealand First leader Winston Peters.
Mr Hide said he handed over material relating to Mr Peters' actions at the time of the inquiry into the scampi fishery "whichI believe takes the issue to a another level".
He declined to say what the material was, except that it was new "and it's not allegations - it's evidence".
The interview was arranged by the SFO and took place at its Auckland offices yesterday.
The SFO is "assessing" a complaint Mr Hide made a fortnight ago after he became concerned by media coverage of donations intended for New Zealand First from businessmen Owen Glenn, Sir Robert Jones and the Vela brothers.
Since then there has been a further allegation the party got donations from Simunovich Fisheries - which was cleared of any wrongdoing in how rights to the scampi fishery were allocated by a select committee inquiry Mr Peters was part of.
Mr Peters would not confirm or deny the latest Simunovich donation claims in Parliament when challenged by Mr Hide.
Mr Peters has previously rejected such claims, telling the Herald in 2004 that Simunovich Fisheries had not given to the party. "I'm saying no," Mr Peters said at the time.
The company also told the 2003 inquiry that it had not provided campaign funds to Mr Peters.
Mr Hide said "more evidence had come his way" that he would share only with the SFO at this stage. He said it had not been in the public domain before.
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 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.
