Suspicions of interference: BFMTV dismisses Rachid M'Barki and files a complaint

Europe 1 with AFP 3:03 p.m., February 23, 2023

BFMTV dismissed its journalist Rachid M'Barki, following the audit launched due to suspicions of interference in his work, and filed a complaint against X, according to an internal email sent Thursday and of which the AFP.

The first news channel in France had opened an internal investigation in January because of these suspicions.

They concerned brief broadcasts on the antenna relating in particular to the Russian oligarchs, Qatar or Western Sahara.

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Several sequences identified between 2021 and 2022

"These investigations made it possible to identify several sequences, between 2021 and 2022, which were broadcast without respecting the validation 'processes' and the editorial line. These shortcomings are the sole responsibility of a journalist who did not complied with the rules in force within the editorial staff. The management has decided to terminate his employment contract on February 21, 2023", writes in this email the director general of the news channel, Marc-Olivier Fogiel.

"A complaint against X relating to the facts of which BFMTV was the victim was filed on February 22, 2023", he adds, for passive corruption and breach of trust.

In response, the channel decided to “further strengthen” its editorial validation systems, specifies Mr. Fogiel.

He underlines in his message that "this isolated case in no way reflects the exceptional and rigorous work carried out with professionalism and ethics by the 250 journalists of BFMTV to whom the management reaffirms its support and its confidence".

M'Barki admitted using dubious information

Questioned at the beginning of February by the Politico site, which had revealed its implicated, Rachid M'Barki, removed from the antenna since January 11, had admitted to having "used information which [him] came from informants" and which n had "not necessarily followed the usual course of writing".

"They were all real and verified. (...) I'm not ruling anything out, maybe I was tricked, I didn't feel like it was or that I was taking part in an operation I don't know what else I wouldn't have done it," he continued.

Since then, an investigation by the collective of journalists Forbidden Stories, to which the investigation unit of Radio France and Le Monde contributed for France, revealed that this affair was a small part of a vast enterprise of disinformation piloted by an Israeli pharmacy, which would sell its services worldwide.

This company, without legal existence, nicknamed "Team Jorge" by journalists because of the pseudonym of one of its leaders, Tal Hanan, is made up of former members of the Israeli security services, according to the revelations of the collective, broadcast by thirty international media.