ACA reporter expecting charges
An ACA reporter and producer could be charged over a 'hitman' story which aired in 2008.
- Published by David Knox
- on
- Filed under News
A Current Affair reporter Ben Fordham last night told viewers he and producer Andrew Byrne expect to be charged by NSW Police over a story that aired last year.
Former Waverley mayor James Robert Markham was exposed by a hidden camera as Fordham posed as an associate of Markham’s nephew, self-styled hitman Sean Tolme.
The ACA report said the man wanted to kill the target because he was blackmailing a friend of his. The story relied heavily on the use of hidden cameras and microphones.
“The DPP has recommended charges and police have arranged to come to Channel Nine tomorrow to lay them,” Fordham said. “They relate to an alleged breach of the Listening Devices Act and allegedly concealing a serious indictable offence.”
Both charges carry maximum penalties of two years jail.
Nine is expected to argue it did not believe a serious crime would be committed after the alleged hitman reassured his intended victim and producers during a meet-and-greet at the program’s Willoughby offices.
The Walkley-awarded journalist said to say he and Byrne were worried was “an understatement.”
Source: news.com.au, Daily Telegraph
Share
- Tagged with A Current Affair
8 Responses
9’s underbelly exposed lol!!!
Well if u do the crime do the time,but of course im sure they guys will get off.
This whole thing stinks and is another reflection of ACA’s shoddy reporting and almost laughable attempts to get a story. If as Nine suggests ‘it did not believe a serious crime was to have been committed’ why did Fordham go to the extraordinary lengths of posing as the nephew of a hitman and create all this false drama in the first place. I remember seeing this story and wondered why if Nine knew there was a hit out on a man, that they didn’t go straight to the police straight away? I also questioned why the Lord Mayor in question wasn’t charged?…Now I know why! – because the story was a staged beat up and manufactured by Nine and gunho Fordham to heighten the drama and point the finger at some old dude who was probably suffering the early signs of old age – old men get cranky Ben and that’s all it probably was!!!
The greatest irony here is that out of this pathetic attempt at scoring ratings, the two men who were trying to make the news (ie Fordham and his prodiucer) will now become the news for their ridiculous reporting methods – and the real twist will come if they’re actually jailed – I wonder if the former Waverley Lord Mayor who they tried to expose will actually pay them a visit!
Would be good if the court ruled that ACA and TT are to be taken of the air
“Nine is expected to argue it did not believe a serious crime would be committed after the alleged hitman reassured his intended victim and producers ”
so their defence is that they trust the hitmans to stick to what he says?
they do realise that hitmen probably are not the most trustworthy people. lol
Naughty nine. don’t worry u guys will get a slap on the wrist.
I saw this last night and remember the original story, IMO they should have told the police!
I’m not exactly who is to blame for the dodginess of the ACA and TT reports – the executive producers or the reporters, but a scare like this hopefully will make them lift their game.
Comments are closed.