Nick Hart looks at how European rights to privacy have
recently dealt a blow to ASIC's requests in the UK to
obtain information for its investigations in connection with
the infamous Offset Alpine affair.
The Offset Alpine affair
The Offset Alpine affair has attracted much public attention
and intrigue because of its mix of high-profile figures, large
sums of money, and suspicions of criminality.
It began with the purchase from Kerry Packer of the Offset
Alpine printing firm in 1992 and its subsequent floatation by
the late Rene Rivkin, the flamboyant and successful
stockbroker.
At the end of 1993 the firm's principal asset, the
printing plant, was destroyed by fire. It transpired that the
plant was valued at approximately $3million but had been
insured for the replacement value of around $42million. A
payout of over $50million caused the value of the
company's shares to increase
