Wellington - New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters hit back Friday at a series of charges of secret cash donations made to his party, dubbing them "unsubstantiated rubbish."

Peters called a press conference to condemn "a campaign of innuendo, misrepresentation and character assassination promoted by some particular interests for their own purposes."

He said that every donation his nationalist New Zealand First party had received was legal and nobody, including himself, had personally retained any of them.

Peters was speaking after a spate of newspaper headlines like "Where did the money go?" and "Did he breach the rules?" were published in the past week while he was at a regional diplomatic meeting in Singapore.

News reports said that Prime Minister Helen Clark directed Peters to deal with the allegations immediately to ensure they did not overshadow a two-day visit by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who was scheduled to arrive for talks with them Friday night.

A key issue was a claim by millionaire property developer Sir Robert Jones that Peters had asked him for a donation for his party before the last election in 2005. Jones said he gave 25,000 New Zealand dollars (about 18,500 US dollars) but was asked to make out his cheque to a trust administered by Peters' brother.

New Zealand First president George Groombridge told reporters he had never heard of the trust and did not know Jones had donated money to the party.

Peters disclaimed any involvement with the trust and said he had never asked Jones for money and the millionaire's memory was failing, Radio New Zealand reported.

A week ago, Peters admitted that expatriate billionaire Owen Glenn, who lives in Monaco, had donated 100,000 New Zealand dollars toward a legal bill in 2005 after consistently denying it. He said the money went to his lawyer who had not told him about it.

Opposition parties interpreted that as a bribe because Glenn had said publicly that he would like to be appointed New Zealand's honorary consul in Monaco.

Another report said that one of the country's wealthiest families had donated at least 150,000 New Zealand dollars to New Zealand First but it did not appear in the party's annual declaration to the Electoral Commission.

Peters' party supports Clark's minority Labour-led government in exchange for him getting the foreign affairs portfolio while it stays out of a formal coalition.

Analysts said the allegations have seriously embarrassed the prime minister but she cannot sack him, even if she wants to because he could withdraw his party's support, forcing her to call an early election, which current polls showed she would be certain to lose. (dpa)