'Cocaine dealer' on Mahmood Fazal's Four Corners episode says she did it as 'an acting role'
Further concerns over the accuracy of reporting by sacked Four Corners reporter Mahmood Fazal are raised on Media Watch, including that a hire car was used to mislead viewers in the profile of a purported cocaine dealer.
The accuracy of reporting by former Four Corners journalist Mahmood Fazal has come under scrutiny once again, with Media Watch reporting new concerns. Fazal's termination followed an ABC investigation into his appearance on a podcast, leading to the removal of episodes from Four Corners, Background Briefing, and a Background Briefing audio program.
The ABC Ombudsman is conducting an independent review of the programs' compliance with editorial standards. One specific concern arises from an episode titled "Remy was 12 when she became a drug dealer," where Fazal interviewed Remy, a masked figure purportedly a cocaine dealer in Sydney's elite. Media Watch claims that the core of Remy's story was fabricated, with the self-styled Sydney rapper Charissa Habkouk stating she portrayed Remy as a favor to Fazal, who initially approached her on Instagram to secure his position at the ABC.
Fazal denies these allegations, asserting his commitment to the integrity of his reporting and the editorial processes. He also rejects claims that a Mercedes-Benz used in the episode was hired by the ABC to create the illusion of him driving around Sydney, stating he was "already contracted by the ABC on a permanent ongoing basis."
The ABC has removed the episodes following concerns about the veracity of the sources used, and an independent review of the programs is underway.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
