A High Court appeal has been lost by actor Paul Hogan who pleaded that the folder, which contained his offshore financial dealings, should be kept in secret. Hogan lost the case after a High Court verdict today.

An appeal filed by Mr. Hogan for keeping his financial documents confidential, was denied by the High Court.

In the nation's $300 million Wickenby investigation, into the use of offshore tax havens, Mr. Hogan, his artistic colleague John Cornell and their accountant Tony Stewart were put under investigation.

Three of the accused however, denied doing anything wrong.

Earlier, Nationwide News, the publisher of The Australian, requested to see the documents that were “tendered as part of a long-running court case” that involved Mr. Hogan.

However, the Australian succeeded in its effort but Mr. Hogan dragged the matter into the High Court, where he lost the case toady morning as the Court rejected his appeal. In today’s verdict, court asked the actor to pay back all the legal costs of Nationwide News and Fairfax Media.

A bench of five judges ruled in a written statement, “If the file material has been admitted into evidence the interests of open justice are engaged”.

Also, the court stated that Mr. Hogan had decided to “put the material into evidence”.