French national TV fabricates story about weapons smuggling

Foreign Minister Ivan Mrkić has reacted to revelations that the France 2 TV channel has run a fabricated story about "weapons smuggling from Serbia."

Izvor: Blic

Monday, 27.05.2013.

11:37

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BELGRADE Foreign Minister Ivan Mrkic has reacted to revelations that the France 2 TV channel has run a fabricated story about "weapons smuggling from Serbia." Mrkic said that "an explanation would be sought from France", and that his ministry will "look to make sure the untruths from the report are clarified." French national TV fabricates story about weapons smuggling The foreign minister told the Belgrade-based daily Blic that his ministry would "dedicate itself seriously" to the case, and that if it is proven that the story was fake - "Serbia will use all the mechanisms to minimize the damage already done." Mrkic was also quoted as saying that he would have expected the French authorities and their ambassador in Belgrade to bring up the issue of this gravity had there been a real problem related to weapons smuggling from Serbia to France. Blic reported over the weekend that France 2 in March broadcast an 8-minute report in prime time news about the alleged weapons smuggling. But a police investigation in Serbia revealed that the two French reporters - Franck Genauzeau and Regis Mathe - traveled to Serbia to record "a fake story with fake people." They used the services of a "middleman" - a local journalist named as Aleksandar M., who hired one of his cousins, Nenad Mirkovic - a man with a police records - who in turn hired his close friend Zarko Blagojevic. Blagojevic "took the pistols" shown in the report from his father and father-in-law, "and bought a rifle in the Belgrade suburb of Umka," said Blic. The French journalists gave Blagojevic the money to buy the rifle. After that, the report about "weapons smuggling" was filmed in Umka. Mirkovic and Blagojevic were portrayed as gunrunners, and earned EUR 800 each for their performances. They were coached by the French ahead of the filming, and said what the reporters required them to. The newspaper added that it tried to contact one of the French journalists "via Facebook", but failed to get any response so far. "At the French embassy in Belgrade yesterday there was nobody to speak to us about the matter in question," said the daily on its website. Ivan Mrkic (Beta, file) Blic Tanjug

French national TV fabricates story about weapons smuggling

The foreign minister told the Belgrade-based daily Blic that his ministry would "dedicate itself seriously" to the case, and that if it is proven that the story was fake - "Serbia will use all the mechanisms to minimize the damage already done."

Mrkić was also quoted as saying that he would have expected the French authorities and their ambassador in Belgrade to bring up the issue of this gravity had there been a real problem related to weapons smuggling from Serbia to France.

Blic reported over the weekend that France 2 in March broadcast an 8-minute report in prime time news about the alleged weapons smuggling.

But a police investigation in Serbia revealed that the two French reporters - Franck Genauzeau and Regis Mathe - traveled to Serbia to record "a fake story with fake people."

They used the services of a "middleman" - a local journalist named as Aleksandar M., who hired one of his cousins, Nenad Mirković - a man with a police records - who in turn hired his close friend Žarko Blagojević. Blagojević "took the pistols" shown in the report from his father and father-in-law, "and bought a rifle in the Belgrade suburb of Umka," said Blic.

The French journalists gave Blagojević the money to buy the rifle.

After that, the report about "weapons smuggling" was filmed in Umka. Mirković and Blagojević were portrayed as gunrunners, and earned EUR 800 each for their performances. They were coached by the French ahead of the filming, and said what the reporters required them to.

The newspaper added that it tried to contact one of the French journalists "via Facebook", but failed to get any response so far.

"At the French embassy in Belgrade yesterday there was nobody to speak to us about the matter in question," said the daily on its website.

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