ABC sacks Four Corners reporter Mahmood Fazal over unauthorised podcast appearance
Consensus Summary
The ABC terminated Four Corners reporter Mahmood Fazal’s employment in May 2026 following an internal investigation into his unauthorised appearance on a podcast titled *Word on the Street*, co-hosted with former underworld figure Ryan Naumenko. The podcast, sponsored by an online crypto casino, aired in September 2025 after Fazal claimed his manager had approved the interview. However, the ABC later withdrew endorsement due to gambling ads in the episode, and an investigation found Fazal had breached editorial policies by not securing proper external work approval. Naumenko publicly accused Fazal of hiding his paid role and demanding cash payments, allegations Fazal denied. The ABC’s decision came after Fazal had been on medical leave for seven months, though the investigation did not explore a separate feud between Fazal and Naumenko involving threats to a YouTuber, which police had previously investigated without action. Fazal, a former Mongols bikie gang member and Walkley Award-winning journalist, had produced investigations for Four Corners on underworld crime before his dismissal.
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Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Mahmood Fazal was sacked by the ABC after an internal investigation into an unauthorised podcast appearance with Ryan Naumenko in 2025
- Fazal’s contract was terminated in May 2026 after the investigation found him in breach of the ABC’s editorial policies
- The podcast, *Word on the Street*, was sponsored by an online crypto casino (Vegastars) and ended after two episodes due to a falling-out between Fazal and Naumenko
- Fazal initially claimed he believed his manager had approved the podcast appearance, but the ABC later withdrew endorsement after the first episode aired with gambling ads
- Fazal is a former sergeant-at-arms for the Mongols bikie gang and a Walkley Award-winning journalist who joined the ABC in 2021 and Four Corners in 2023
- Naumenko publicly accused Fazal of not disclosing his paid role on the podcast and demanding payment in cash to hide it from the ABC
- Fazal was on medical leave for seven months during the investigation, which began after the podcast’s first episode aired in September 2025
- The ABC’s investigation focused on Fazal’s external work request and podcast appearance, not the feud with Naumenko or the FriendlyJordies controversy
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- Fazal allegedly passed on threats to YouTuber Jordan Shanks (FriendlyJordies) in 2024, warning him to remove a video critical of the Alameddines; police received a report but took no action.
- The investigation did not examine the feud between Fazal and Naumenko over messages regarding FriendlyJordies, which emerged after contested messages were published by SMH.
- Fazal’s last Four Corners episode, about the sovereign citizen movement, aired in August 2025.
- ABC Managing Director Hugh Marks confirmed Fazal’s termination during Senate estimates on May 28, 2026, stating the investigation’s findings led to his dismissal without detailing specifics.
- Marks referenced the ABC’s caution following the unlawful termination of Antoinette Lattouf’s employment in the federal court, emphasizing adherence to process.
- A lawyer for Fazal, Rebekah Giles, stated in October 2025 that Fazal believed he had his manager’s approval for the podcast and denied Naumenko’s allegations.
- Fazal’s statement to Media Watch (October 20, 2025) denied Naumenko’s allegations and claimed he connected Naumenko with production contacts in good faith, retaining and paying contractors.
- The ABC’s initial statement in October 2025 said Fazal’s manager endorsed the podcast based on the information provided, but final approval was withdrawn after the episode aired with gambling ads.
- The article includes the same details as SMH regarding the FriendlyJordies controversy and the investigation’s scope, but does not add new unique information beyond SMH.
Where the reporting differs
Details that conflict, or appear in only some outlets:
- The Guardian states Fazal’s manager *initially endorsed* the podcast based on information provided, while SMH and The Age imply the approval was later found to be improper or withdrawn after the fact.
- SMH and The Age claim Fazal was on *medical leave* for seven months, but none of the sources clarify whether this leave was related to the investigation or a separate matter.
- The ABC and Guardian mention Fazal’s manager’s *initial endorsement* was withdrawn after gambling ads appeared, but SMH and The Age focus more on the *lack of final approvals* as the key breach.
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The public broadcaster launched an investigation into the former bikie’s involvement in a podcast sponsored by an online casino Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast The Four Corners reporter Mahmood Fazal is no longer working for the ABC after an investigation into the former bikie’s involvement in a podcast sponsored by an online casino. The ABC managing director, Hugh Marks, told Senate estimates on Thursday Fazal’s
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Four Corners reporter sacked over external podcast
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