60 Minutes: March 27

This weekend 60 Minutes features stories on Mick Fanning, Brussels, a Bosnian war criminal and corruption in Malaysia.

Mates
Everyone knows Mick Fanning is so much more than a champion surfer and occasional shark wrestler. He’s one of the most decent human beings on the planet, and his friendship with Barney Miller proves it. As a youngster, Barney dreamt of being a professional surfer until he was severely injured in a car crash when he was twenty. The accident left him a quadriplegic. Tough times followed, but ten years ago he had a chance meeting with Fanning and they’ve been best mates ever since. These days Mick takes Barney surfing and is also literally helping him get back on his feet. But like any good mate, Barney is also helping Mick recover from the personal and professional traumas he has endured in the past 12 months.
Reporter: Peter Stefanovic
Producer: Mary Ann Jolley

Terror in Brussels
As the people of Belgium mourn their dead after another senseless terrorist attack, many people are now asking how such hatred could come from within its own borders. On 60 Minutes this week Michael Usher reports from Molenbeek, a Brussels suburb many locals call “terror town”. Molenbeek is widely known as a breeding ground for jihadists. This small but densely populated neighbourhood has been linked to as many as four attacks in Europe, including the carnage in Paris last year. Usher confronts the local mayor to find out why nothing has been done to stop the radicalisation of a generation of young men.
Reporter: Michael Usher
Producers: Phil Goyen, Garry McNab

Dirty Secret
While politics and skulduggery are frequent bedfellows in most countries, it’s hard to believe the extent of the intrigue and corruption in the Malaysian government. The greatest scandal surrounds the murder of a beautiful young woman who was having an affair with a high-ranking apparatchik. Only she wasn’t just killed, she was blown to pieces with explosives by two government bodyguards. One of her killers, Sirul Azhar Umar, was sentenced to death but fled to Australia and is now being held in Sydney’s Villawood Detention Centre. It’s believed Sirul is keeping a dirty secret about who ordered the murder. Now, Malaysia’s former Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohamad – himself an outspoken and controversial figure – has come out of retirement to have his say. He tells Ross Coulthart the Australian government needs to protect its Malaysian detainee and grant him immediate asylum.
Reporter: Ross Coulthart
Producers: Grace Tobin, Mary Ann Jolley

War Criminal
As European nations and other countries, including Australia, battle Islamic extremism, the endgame in another brutal conflict – the Bosnian war of the 1990s – is being played out in the Netherlands. The War Crimes Tribunal is about to pass judgment on Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, who is accused of genocide. Back in 1993, at the height of the terrible war, the late Richard Carleton filmed a remarkable 60 Minutes interview with Karadzic, which not only highlighted the alleged war criminal’s evil activities but also Carleton’s very brave interviewing style.
Reporters: Richard Carleton, Tara Brown
Producer: Howard Sacre

7pm Sunday on Nine