ABC withdraws Four Corners episodes by sacked reporter Mahmood Fazal over accuracy concerns
Consensus Summary
The ABC has withdrawn two episodes of Four Corners, *Meth Highway* (2024) and *Cocaine Nation* (2023), due to concerns about the accuracy of sources used by reporter Mahmood Fazal. The decision follows an internal investigation and was announced on Friday morning, with Fazal responding via Instagram on Friday evening. Fazal was sacked in May after an investigation into his appearance on a podcast with a former underworld figure, and his three-year stint at Four Corners began in 2023. The ABC Ombudsman is reviewing the episodes for compliance with editorial standards. Fazal, who previously worked for ABC RNâs Background Briefing, has denied wrongdoing and criticized the ABCâs decision, stating he was not consulted before the withdrawal. The Four Corners team publicly supported Fazal, calling him an ethical reporter, though THEAGE and SMH report allegations involving his connections to underworld figures, including a 2024 incident where he allegedly relayed threats from the Alameddine crime family. The ABC has also appointed a new executive producer and standards editor for Four Corners following Fazalâs departure and the sudden exit of news director Justin Stevens in May.
â Verified by 2+ sources
Key details reported by multiple sources:
- Two Four Corners episodes, *Meth Highway* (2024) and *Cocaine Nation* (2023), were withdrawn by the ABC due to concerns about the veracity of sources
- Mahmood Fazal was sacked by the ABC in May after an internal investigation into his appearance on a podcast with a former underworld figure
- Fazal worked as a Four Corners reporter for a three-year stint, starting in 2023
- The ABC Ombudsman was referred the matter for an independent review of the programs' compliance with editorial standards
- Fazal was suspended in late-2025 after agreeing to launch a podcast with Ryan Naumenko, a former underworld figure
- The ABCâs Four Corners team issued a statement of support for Fazal, calling him an award-winning, ethical, and fact-based reporter, with then-six reporters backing him
- The withdrawal of the episodes was announced on Friday morning, with Fazal responding on Friday evening via Instagram
- Fazal previously worked for ABC RNâs Background Briefing before joining Four Corners in 2023
Points of Difference
Details reported by only one source:
- The ABC managing director Hugh Marks confirmed Fazalâs termination at a Senate estimates hearing in May
- The withdrawal of the episodes is separate from the investigation into Fazalâs podcast appearance
- Fazal was an investigative reporter for ABC RNâs Background Briefing before his Four Corners role
- Fazal alleged he was not made aware of the second investigation into his work before the episodes were retracted
- The ABC installed a new executive producer for Four Corners, Joel Tozer, and created a commissioning and standards editor position, appointing former 7.30 producer Patricia Drum
- Fazal allegedly passed on threatening messages from the Alameddine crime family to journalist Kristo Langker in 2024
- Shanksâ house was firebombed two years earlier (2022) with an associate of the Alameddines later jailed over the incident
- The SMH article includes identical details to THEAGE, with no additional unique information beyond THEAGEâs content
Contradictions
Conflicting information between sources:
- ABC states the withdrawal of episodes is separate to the investigation into Fazalâs podcast appearance, while THEAGE and SMH imply the two investigations are linked in timing but distinct in nature
- THEAGE and SMH mention Fazal was suspended in late-2025, but ABC does not explicitly mention this suspension date
Source Articles
Four Corners withdraws episodes by sacked reporter
The ABC has withdrawn the Four Corners programs Meth Highway and Cocaine Nation by sacked reporter Mahmood Fazal due to concerns about accuracy.
Sacked Four Corners reporter lashes ABC move to pull episodes
The ABC has retracted two episodes of its flagship investigative program Four Corners led by its now sacked reporter Mahmood Fazal over accuracy concerns.
Sacked Four Corners reporter lashes ABC move to pull episodes
The ABC has retracted two episodes of its flagship investigative program Four Corners led by its now sacked reporter Mahmood Fazal over accuracy concerns.