ABC apologises over Four Corners report

ABC has issued an apology to Len Roberts, and a former Councillor of the MidCoast Council, and a member and former CEO of the Karuah Local Aboriginal Land Council following a Four Corners report in November 2021.

‘Obeid Inc.’ by reporter Angus Griggs exposed alleged secret deals making the family of Labor kingmaker Eddie Obeid millions.

Obeid was sentenced to jail for a second time, after being found guilty alongside one of his sons of conspiring to rig a lucrative mining tender to benefit the family.

But yesterday it issued an apology to First Nations person Len Roberts for the broadcast and transcript published online.

“The publications contained allegations concerning the Obeid family’s role in property developments on the north coast of NSW. The ABC did not intend to suggest that Mr Roberts was working or co-operating with the Obeids or that Mr Roberts behaved in any way inappropriately in his roles as a former councillor and former CEO of the KLALC.

“If the program did inadvertently make those allegations about Mr Roberts the ABC unreservedly withdraws them.

“The ABC apologises to Mr Roberts for any hurt or embarrassment caused by the publications.”

ABC previously issued a separate online clarification attached to the program:

“The ABC wishes to clarify that this program did not suggest that Mr Gardner Brook gave evidence for the Crown in order to avoid being prosecuted himself. The program’s use of the phrase ‘turning crown witness’ described an act by Mr Brook, done of his own free will and in good faith. As the program noted, Mr Brook’s testimony about Eddie Obeid and Moses Obeid helped bring them to justice, with each being sentenced to a jail term. Mr Brook was never charged with any criminal offence and the program did not in any way suggest he would have been prosecuted had he not been a Crown witness.”