Rachid M'Barki, former BFMTV journalist fired after suspicions of foreign interference in his work, claimed his innocence and considered himself the target of "
unfair accusations
", Wednesday for his first public speech since his indictment. cause.
He was questioned for two hours by a parliamentary commission of inquiry into foreign interference, chaired by RN deputy Jean-Philippe Tanguy.
“In recent years, I have had the satisfaction of co-presenting the program “
Bring in the accused
”, but without knowing that it is I who would find myself on the bench, spectator of my professional killing”, said Rachid M'Barki.
“
I am accused of having failed in my professional ethics by passing unverified information on the air and suggesting that I would have been paid for it.
All of this is false and is pure slander
”, he said, denouncing a “
media lynching
”.
Presenter of the night newspapers of BFMTV and "
Bring in the accused
" on RMC Story, he was dismissed in February for serious misconduct by the Altice group, to which these channels belong.
A complaint against X for passive corruption and breach of trust has been filed.
In question, suspicions of foreign interference in his work as a presenter of the night newspapers on BFMTV.
This concerned a dozen briefs illustrated with images, relating in particular to Russian oligarchs, Qatar or Western Sahara.
Rachid M'Barki was implicated in an international investigation by the collective of journalists Forbidden Stories, to which the investigation unit of Radio France and Le Monde contributed for France.
Published in mid-February, this investigation pointed to the activities of an Israeli company, nicknamed "
Team Jorge
", specializing in disinformation for the benefit of various clients, including states.
Without questioning the whole of this investigation, Rachid M'Barki assured that his "
alleged involvement
" was "
a fable
".
“It was neutral images”
"
If at the head of this investigation we can brandish the head of a television news presenter from a major chain, whose name and face are little known to the French, then there we are creating a business",
a- he said, targeting the Radio France journalist who participated in the investigation.
Rachid M'Barki admitted that lobbyist Jean-Pierre Duthion, quoted in the Forbidden Stories investigation, was one of his "
informants
".
But he assured that he had "
at no time the impression (...) that he could work for someone who was trying to manipulate information
".
Rachid M'Barki, however, admitted having broadcast images provided at his request by this lobbyist, in particular on an economic forum between Morocco and Spain organized in June in Western Sahara.
“
They were neutral images
,” he argued.
Relaunched by a deputy, he conceded that “
perhaps it would have been necessary
” to mention on these images the fact that they came from an outside source.
"
It may be a mistake not to have done it, is it my mistake or the error of the hierarchy who validated these images
" before their release, he defended himself.
Has he been manipulated?
"
Today, I say no
," he insisted, returning to statements published in early February by the Politico site, which was the first to report the suspicions weighing on him.
The commission of inquiry is due to hear the general manager of BFMTV, Marc-Olivier Fogiel, on Thursday.
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