FED:Rinehart kidnap fears over court case

AAP General News (Australia)
02-02-2012
FED:Rinehart kidnap fears over court case

Eds: Reissuing, changing keyword from Legal: Rinehart for technical reasons. The keyword
Legal: Rinehart will now be used for a different story)



PERTH, Feb 2 AAP - Mining billionaire Gina Rinehart has raised fears about the security
of her grandchildren as she tries to get her three estranged children to abandon efforts
to make details of the family's bitter court battle public.

A copy of a 44-page security report, codenamed Project Tara and prepared for Ms Rinehart
last week, says there will be increased security risks to Ms Rinehart, her children and
her grandchildren if the secret court stoush goes public.

The West Australian newspaper, which has obtained a copy of the report, says it claims
Ms Rinehart, her four children and five grandchildren would be under heightened risk from
kidnappers and terrorists if evidence currently suppressed by the NSW Supreme Court is
published.

It says Ms Rinehart, Australia's richest person, would face increased threats from
criminals, deranged individuals and issue-motivated groups in Australia.

Her son John, meanwhile, would be a target of organised crime and kidnapping and her
three daughters would be at risk from abduction, harassment, petty crime, disgruntled
employees, competitors, issue-motivated groups and foreign governments.

The report was compiled by Control Risks, a global risk consultancy specialising in
managing political and security risks in complex and hostile environments.

The West Australian said the report did not mention on what evidence it based its assessment
or what currently suppressed details would lead to increased risks.

Ms Rinehart's three eldest children are involved in a protracted legal battle to have
her removed as head of the Hope Margaret Hancock Trust set up by the late Lang Hancock
before he died.

The trust owns almost a quarter of Ms Rinehart's company, Hancock Prospecting.

Ginia, her youngest child, is the only one to have sided with her mother.

On Wednesday, Ms Rinehart successfully applied to have the suppression extended until March 9.

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KEYWORD: RINEHART SECURITY (REISSUING WITH NEW KEYWORD)

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