A Current Affair crew fined, isolated after mask breach.

A crew from A Current Affair breached NSW health orders when they attempted to interview a pastor in Bidwill last month.

Media Watch last night reported ACA crime editor Simon Bouda attempted to interview Pastor Marvin Osaghae whose Christ Embassy Sydney church has copped recent hefty fines for an illegal gathering and failing to wear masks.

A NSW Police spokesperson confirmed in a statement, “On Tuesday 24 August 2021, officers from Mt Druitt Police Area Command were told a television news crew had breached the Public Health Order.

“The three men, 48, 58 and 60, self-reported to police after immediately identifying that they had breached the Order by not wearing masks while attempting to interview a man outside a house in Bidwill about 6am that day.

“The men each received a $500 Penalty Infringement Notice for failure to comply with a direction to wear a mask.”

Paul Barry told viewers, “Whoops. Yes, in filming a report about breaching public health orders Nine’s crew breached a public health order. Embarrassing.

“And why did they then dob themselves in? Nine says they wanted to do the right thing.

“But we’re told that someone at the pastor’s home, possibly his wife, appeared to film the ambush on a phone, catching them maskless.”

Bouda and his crew then undertook 14 days isolation.

Nine’s head of news & current affairs, Darren Wick, told ABC in a statement, “We did have a crew who inadvertently conducted an interview while not wearing masks recently. They did not intentionally set out to breach the health orders but upon realising they had breached them, instantly wanted to do the right thing, which was to report it and cop the consequences. We are no different to the public. They were not suspended. They were isolating at home and got tested on days 1, 5, 12 and 14 as per Nine COVID-safe plan and health department protocols. They are now back at work after completing the 14 days isolation.”