FED:Source 'wanted money for Fitzgibbon story'

AAP General News (Australia)
02-10-2011
FED:Source 'wanted money for Fitzgibbon story'

SYDNEY, Feb 10 AAP - A person "with an enormous amount of animosity" towards businesswoman
Helen Liu wanted $120,000 for a story on her and former defence minister, Joel Fitzgibbon,
a judge has been told.

Journalist Richard Baker said he never met or spoke on the phone to the person, but
he had independently corroborated much of the information provided in emails by the source.

Mr Baker said no money was paid to the source and, despite claims to the contrary by
Ms Liu, he believed the documents used for the story were not faked.

He was being cross-examined in the NSW Supreme Court on Thursday by Bruce McClintock,
SC, on behalf of Ms Liu, a Chinese-Australian property developer.

She has taken legal action against The Age newspaper and Fairfax journalists Mr Baker,
Phillip Dorling and Nick McKenzie.

She has asked Justice Lucy McCallum to make orders which would effectively compel the
journalists to reveal their sources for the story.

But their barrister has argued the journalists considered themselves bound by undertakings
of confidentiality to their sources.

The February 2010 article alleged Ms Liu had paid $150,000 to Mr Fitzgibbon, in circumstances
suggesting corruption.

Mr McClintock took Mr Baker through emails - which have been redacted so as not to
identify the contact or sources - between the contact and the journalist.

"You would agree the contact evinced an enormous amount of animosity towards my client
in these emails?" he asked.

"Quite often, yes," replied Mr Baker.

He agreed that at one stage the source had asked for $120,000 and said contact had
been made with another media group.

Mr Baker said before the story was published he approached Donald Junn, Ms Liu's long-time
legal adviser, and showed him some of the documents.

He said Mr Junn later suggested the journalist go back to Mr Fitzgibbon "and put to
him that Helen Liu is considering giving him up".

"If Joel hears this, he will know that it is no empty threat," Mr Baker reported Mr
Junn as saying.

The hearing is continuing.

AAP mss/tr/jl

KEYWORD: LIU

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