Franklyn, the former general manager of Corporate Communications and a member of the executive team, quit in disagreement over Alinta's acquisition price of Duke Energy's Asia Pacific assets, claiming the $1.69 billion price tag was too high.

Alinta chief executive Bob Browning is currently on a roadshow in Australia's eastern states drumming up support for the company's prospectus to raise $468 million from shareholders in a three-for-seven rights issue pitched at $5.50 a share, part of its package of fund raising ideas to pay for the Duke assets.

Browning was reported in the West Australian newspaper as saying, "It's unfortunate (the investment community) os going to give a guy who comes from an anayst's background and has never run a company that kind of credence.

"You've got to remember we went ex-dividend and you've got to factor in the rights price on top to look at the true value."

The company's share price recovered slightly on early trading today, climbing back from $5.95 to be holding at $6.04.