Four Corners reporter sacked over external podcast

The ABC has sacked Four Corners reporter Mahmood Fazal after an internal investigation into an unauthorised podcast appearance with a former underworld figure last year.

Fazal, who joined the ABC in 2021 and later its prestige current affairs program in 2023, has now had his contract terminated after the investigation found him to be in breach of the ABC’s editorial policies, seven months after initially taking leave, which he has said was medical-related.

The ABC confirmed the decision in a statement to this masthead, saying that Fazal no longer works for the organisation.

“Mahmood Fazal is no longer employed at the ABC. We do not comment on individual staff matters”, an ABC spokesperson said.

In September, Fazal launched a new podcast titled Word on the Street alongside Ryan Naumenko, a self-styled “media cowboy” who claims to have an extensive criminal history. But the podcast, sponsored by an online crypto casino, ended after just two episodes with the duo falling out over payment for the ABC reporter’s appearances.

Fazal is a former sergeant-at-arms for bikie gang The Mongols. Over the course of his time at Four Corners he produced a series of investigations into the criminal underworld, including the trafficking of drugs into Australia and the heroin trade in South-East Asia.

After the first episode of the podcast was published in September last year, Naumenko launched a public attack at his co-host, alleging Fazal had not told the ABC about his paid role with the show. This also included allegations that Fazal demanded to be paid in cash to hide the payments from his employer. Fazal initially said the money he was paid was to fund the production crew, though this claim was contested by the ABC’s Media Watch.

In October, an ABC spokesperson told this masthead that after receiving initial endorsement from former Four Corners boss Matthew Carney, the podcast did not receive the final approvals as required by its external work guidelines. The initial support from Carney was also then withdrawn after the first episode went to air with sponsorship from online casino Vegastars.

The scope of the investigation examined his external work request and appearance on the podcast, two sources with knowledge of the matter speaking on condition of anonymity said.

It did not examine further aspects of the feud which continued between Fazal and Naumenko, which emerged after a series of contested messages regarding a popular YouTube figure, FriendlyJordies, were published by this masthead.

In 2024, Fazal allegedly passed on threats to the YouTuber, real name Jordan Shanks, detailing what might happen if Shanks and his producer Kristo Langker didn’t remove the FriendlyJordies video to which the Alameddines had taken exception. Police received a report of this but did not take any action against Fazal, who denied wrongdoing at the time.

Fazal has been approached for comment.

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