Taxpayer Funding Of Smears: A Simple Question

The following letter was sent to Fremanltemedia on 18th November 2013.

From: Edward Middleton
Sent: 18 November 2013 14:08
To: 'ian.hogg@fremantlemedia.com.au'; 'steve.rosser@fremantlemedia.com.au'; 'tim.clucas@fremantlemedia.com.au'
Cc: 'pcmc@parliament.qld.gov.au'; 'attorney@ag.gov.au'; 'contact@aclei.gov.au'; 'commissioner@police.qld.gov.au'; 'communications@police.nsw.gov.au'; 'pbush@nineentertainmentco.com.au'; 'expendable@outlook.com'
Subject: Taxpayer Inducements To FremantleMedia Australia Pty Ltd

As you are aware, the attached report, which evidences misappropriation with respect to funds provided to FremantleMedia via Screen Queensland, has been submitted to a number of police and integrity agencies, as well as to the Attorney-General, Hon George Brandis.

For clarity, I would like to pose a number of questions directly to yourselves. These relate to the terms under which you submitted your application for funding. Specifically, the following clause:

In their dealings with Screen Queensland, applicants and recipients of funding must always:

• act in good faith;

• exhibit the highest levels of propriety and high standards of probity;

• be open and honest; and

• not mislead or deceive Screen Queensland by act or omission. In relation to third parties involved in funded projects, applicants and recipients of funding must always:

• act fairly and reasonably in relation to third parties;

• make payments to third parties when due; and

• respect the rights of third parties, including intellectual property rights.

On submission, or thereafter, did you notify Screen Queensland, that:

1. The original source material for your production was, and is, the subject of multiple defamation proceedings?

2. The publisher of the original source material for your production was successfully sued for breach of copyright, and so serious was the breach, that the Federal Court judge stated that it was a “flagrant disregard” of the law? 

3. Many of those represented in the source material, including police officers, have publicly stated that it represents a gross and direct misrepresentation of the truth, and have refuted the story entirely? Furthermore, that a number of these parties are extremely distressed?

4. One of the individuals misrepresented, Mr David McHugh, called your office directly to complain, and had issued a number of ultimatums regarding any representation in your production? Furthermore, that on the following day, he was violently assaulted by an acquaintance of a prime source of the fabrications, and died?

5. FremantleMedia, and Nine Entertainment Company, have received multiple complaints from Schapelle Corby's family, regarding the production?

6. The source story was intensively investigated by a prominent and highly respected private investigator, over many months, who declared it to be untenable and wholly untrue?

7. The police have rejected and refuted the story on multiple occasions, and have referred to it as "laughable"?

8. The production itself has been widely reported in Indonesia, where Schapelle Corby is awaiting the outcome of her one-time only appeal, potentially undermining and harming her prospects and welfare?

9. Schapelle Corby and her family are extremely distressed at what is viewed as crude, propagandistic, and hugely damaging character assassination, smearing all family members via a legal loophole, ‘dead men can’t sue’?  

10. A number of other distressed individuals have contacted media organizations regarding the source material, including with respect to at least one other case of misrepresentation of a deceased person?

11. The author of the source material admitted on oath that he had made a payment to the prime source of his story, a long term criminal, who had previously made entirely conflicting media statements on the same issues?

12. Both FremantleMedia and Nine Entertainment Company have received a multitude of complaints from the public, many of whom consider the production to be offensive, immoral, and an affront to broadcasting integrity?

Did you formally declare all these matters to Screen Queensland as part of, or subsequent to, your application for funding, for which you were ultimately awarded $567,000?

Note that read-receipts, published by Mr D.M. Corbett and Mr S. Langford, evidence that FremantleMedia Australia Pty Ltd has been aware of all these matters for a lengthy period of time.

Edward Middleton

Strategic Research

Attached files

The Misappropriation Report

The UN Submission