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<\/p>\nThe ABC has withdrawn a third story by sacked reporter Mahmood Fazal due to concerns about accuracy.<\/p>\n
“The ABC has removed from digital platforms the May 2023 Background Briefing audio program ‘Remy was 12 when she became a drug dealer’, in addition to two episodes of Four Corners, Cocaine Nation and Meth Highway, which were removed on 24 July,” a statement said.<\/p>\n
“The action has been taken following concerns identified about the veracity of sources used in the three programs.<\/p>\n
“The ABC Ombudsman is already conducting an independent review of whether the Four Corners programs complied with the ABC’s editorial standards.<\/p>\n
“All three stories were reported by the same journalist, who ceased employment with the ABC in May 2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“The ABC continues to review other content involving the journalist to ensure it meets the ABC’s editorial standards.”<\/p>\n
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Mahmood Fazal was an investigative reporter for ABC RN’s Background Briefing before his Four Corners role. (ABC News)<\/p>\n
Earlier this month, the ABC withdrew the Four Corners programs<\/a> Meth Highway and Cocaine Nation, reported by Fazal, due to concerns over their accuracy.<\/p>\n His employment by the ABC was terminated after an internal investigation of his 2025 appearance on a podcast with a former underworld figure.<\/p>\n The decision to remove two episodes was separate to the investigation of Fazal\u2019s appearance on the podcast, the ABC said.<\/p>\n The two episodes have been referred to the ABC Ombudsman for an independent review of the programs\u2019 compliance with editorial standards, according to an ABC statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThe ABC will consider whether any further action will be required once that review is complete,\u201d the earlier statement said.<\/p>\n Media Watch alleged Four Corners staff had raised concerns that Fazal may have misrepresented the identities of at least two of his masked sources. They had suspicions a man named Ben Aitken, who was an acquaintance and potentially a friend of Fazal, may have role played different members of the criminal underworld.<\/p>\n Matthew Carney, the former executive producer of Four Corners, told Media Watch he had conducted his own inquires and that the ABC continued the investigation after his retirement.<\/p>\n Media Watch went on to allege that Joel Tozer, who took over the program in December 2025, raised the alarm with ABC management, which sparked the ombudsman\u2019s investigation.<\/p>\n In the 2024 Meth Highway episode, Fazal investigated the crystal meth pipeline from Melbourne to a major South-East Asian production source.<\/p>\n In 2023, Fazal covered the \u201cshadowy underworld\u201d of Australia\u2019s cocaine supply chain with \u201cunprecedented access to the people involved in the trade\u201d, according to the Four Corners description of the Cocaine Nation episode.<\/p>\n After the announcement of the episodes\u2019 removal, Fazal said in a statement posted to social media that he was \u201cshocked\u201d by the decision.<\/p>\n