Heston Russell demands meeting with Kim Williams amid doctored footage allegations

The former commando has requested Kim Williams meet with him in the wake of allegations the ABC published doctored online audio in a news report about Australian soldiers in Afghanistan.

Heston Russell, right, has demanded a meeting with ABC chair Kim Williams.

Heston Russell has written directly to ABC chair Kim Williams demanding a meeting following shocking allegations that the ­public broadcaster published doctored online audio in a news report depicting an Australian soldier firing multiple shots at unarmed civilians in Afghanistan.

The former November platoon commander has also said journalists behind the story that contained the offending footage should be held accountable, despite the ABC saying Jo Puccini, Mark Willacy and Josh Robertson had “no role in the production and editing of the online video”.

The ABC has launched an investigation into how the incident occurred, after Seven’s flagship investigations program Spotlight claimed that audio accompanying a video for an ABC report of a November platoon soldier in 2012 firing shots from a helicopter at Afghan civilians included the sound of six shots rather than one.

Mr Russell last year successfully sued the ABC in the Federal Court for defamation and was awarded $390,000 in damages plus legal costs over stories that included allegations regarding the death of a prisoner in Afghanistan in 2012.

In the Spotlight report, Mr Russell confirmed he shared the raw, unedited version of the footage of the military operation with the ABC before last year’s defamation trial.

“This is the exact footage that my legal team provided to the ABC and their legal team just prior to our trial when on three separate times they kept trying to rely on their truth defence, saying it was me shooting out of the helicopter,” he said on Spotlight.

“Two things: first and foremost, it’s not me; secondly, here’s the full context – they were not unarmed civilians. Even after we gave the ABC the footage, the narrative was that I was shooting at unarmed ­civilians.”

Mr Russell maintains the footage does not show him shooting from the helicopter. The footage with the compromised audio has now been removed by the taxpayer-funded broadcaster.

After the Spotlight interview aired on Sunday night, Mr Russell wrote directly to Mr Williams requesting a face-to-face meeting to discuss the doctored footage.

“I’m sending this email after ­tonight’s Channel 7 Spotlight segment that has accurately outlined some of the shocking conduct that I and my loved ones have experienced at the hands of the ABC – prior to your tenure,” he wrote in an email seen by The Australian.

“I would like to please meet with you to discuss a way forward to resolve these issues and achieve accountability without having to waste more Australian taxpayer dollars in the courts.”

The ABC told Seven on Friday it had removed the online video and inquiries were being made into what occurred when the story was compiled.

“We have removed the online video where an error has been identified, based on preliminary inspection of the audio. The ABC is seeking more information on how this occurred,” a spokesman said. “Jo Puccini, Mark Willacy and Josh Robertson had no role in the production and editing of the online video you have brought to our attention. Any suggestion that they have acted inappropriately or un­ethically is completely false.”

But Mr Russell told The Australian the journalists should be held accountable. “When you’re in charge of something, you’re in charge of something. If your name is on the byline, you’re responsible for the article,” he said.

The ABC has been contacted for comment.