Mike Duffy: This is New Delhi's main Commonwealth Games Stadium. And this is the police security gate. While they're distracted by their own cars, I breeze in with an oversized suitcase. There are dozens of police but nobody asks me what it's for. And this is no ordinary piece of luggage. — Channel Seven News, 20th September, 2010

Hello I'm Paul Barry, welcome to Media Watch.

Channel Seven's explosive investigation into Commonwealth Games security, broadcast last Monday, sent shockwaves around the world.

Security fears at Commonwealth Games as journalist 'carries 200 bombs into the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium' — The Daily Mail, 22nd September, 2010

Tonight we're going to spend the entire program examining that Channel Seven report because we believe it's a shocking beat up.

But first let's see if we can figure out what reporter Mike Duffy claims to have done.

Mike Duffy: And this is no ordinary piece of luggage. So you could flatten an entire building with that? Mr P: Absolutely. Mike Duffy: It's a portable purpose-built casing for a remote detonation kit. The unit is capable of setting off 200 explosions. — Channel Seven News, 20th September, 2010

So what do you think of it so far. What exactly do you think Duffy is claiming?

Do you need to see more?

Mike Duffy: We were offered the device out of a car boot in a car park north of Delhi. Mr P: It will say ready to shoot, shoot or turn off. Mike Duffy: We paid up and took the case. — Channel Seven News, 20th September, 2010

It looks to me like Mike Duffy's buying a remote detonating kit from a backstreet arms dealer.

And it's obviously lethal.

Mr P: If I need to blow up this car, all I need further is a detonator and an explosive. Mike Duffy: So we sourced those too. In India's mining areas the black market for explosives is rife... We even get a demonstration. Geez! — Channel Seven News, 20th September, 2010

Now I'd say this brave reporter has bought the ingredients for a bomb and got them through Games security.

And the world's media certainly reached that conclusion, with the story getting bigger and bigger as it went.

...Duffy, was able to gain entry into the stadium premises with a suitcase allegedly containing crude explosives... — The Daily Mail, 22nd September, 2010

Read the full article published by the Daily Mail

The Daily Mail's report was sourced from Britain's biggest news agency the UK Press Association, so it's no surprise it ran almost verbatim in dozens of other papers including The Guardian...

Explosives taken into Commonwealth Games stadium — The Guardian, 22nd September, 2010

Read the full article published by The Guardian

Half way across the world, the Gulf Times and a host of Asian newspapers were relying on AFP's version of the story...

TV crew slips into venue with 'explosive suitcase' — The Gulf Times, 21st September, 2010

Read the full article published by The Gulf Times

But what else could you believe after watching claims like this?

Mike Duffy: And this is no ordinary piece of luggage. So you could flatten an entire building with that? Mr P: Absolutely. — Channel Seven News, 20th September, 2010

New Zealand's TV3 was even more impressed with Duffy's derring-do.

Now a Channel Seven Australia reporter has bought a bomb, tested it, and taken it right into the Games village, no questions asked. I asked Mike Duffy how he did it. — The Campbell Live show, New Zealand TV3, 21st September, 2010

Watch the full interview broadcast on NZ TV3 [external site]

Duffy made no attempt to hose down the wilder stories in interviews.

But he hit trouble when Sydney Radio 2UE's Sandy Aloisi asked him this:

Sandy Aloisi: Well, the thing that struck me is that eventually you showed through your report that you had a remote detonation device inside this bag... — Radio 2UE, Breakfast with John and Sandy, 21st September, 2010

Followed by this pointed question about the risks he had taken:

Sandy Aloisi: But what would've happened Mike if they'd stopped you at the checkpoint? You've got this detonation thing in your suitcase? Mike Duffy: I didn't have all of - I had some of the equipment in there, some not. I certainly didn't have enough that I could've been - I didn't have a complete kit is what I'm saying... — Radio 2UE, Breakfast with John and Sandy, 21st September, 2010

Listen to the full 2UE interview with Mike Duffy [2.7MB]

Not the complete kit?

We believe that case may have been empty and we'll tell you why in a moment.

But if you listen hard Duffy doesn't actually say the detonator kit's inside.

Mike Duffy: It's a portable purpose-built casing... — Channel Seven News, 20th September, 2010

Come again?

Mike Duffy: It's a portable purpose-built casing for a remote detonation kit. — Channel Seven News, 20th September, 2010

Clever isn't it? It's just a CASE.

The other key element of the story is that Duffy took what the world thought was a bomb through Commonwealth Games security.

So let's have another look at that.

Mike Duffy: This is New Delhi's main Commonwealth Games Stadium. And this is the police security gate. While they're distracted by their own cars I breeze in with an oversized suitcase. There are dozens of police but nobody asks me what it's for. — Channel Seven News, 20th September, 2010

Now, according to Delhi Police this was NOT the pedestrian checkpoint.

This Sting operation is totally bogus & incorrect. The reporter is trying to create false impression of security breach by walking from barricades placed on the main road only to divert vehicles. That place is far off from the main entry gate of Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium from where the actual manual checking of pedestrians is done... — Media Release, New Delhi Police, 21st September, 2010

Read the full Media Release issued by Delhi police

They would say that, of course.

But their account is backed by local CNN reporter, Parikshit Luthra, who told Media Watch:

If Mike Duffy had tried to pass through the main gate security checkpoint he would never have been allowed through. The barricade Mike Duffy passed through is there to restrict traffic, that is all. Anyone can walk through there, you could, I could. — Statement from Parikshit Luthra (Reporter, CNN-IBN) to Media Watch, 24th September, 2010

Luthra also offered this significant fact...

...the area is not on lockdown yet. — Statement from Parikshit Luthra (Reporter, CNN-IBN) to Media Watch, 24th September, 2010

In other words, when the filming was done, full Games security was not yet in operation.

Now, maybe it should have been, but that's another question.

Challenged to answer these criticisms, Duffy told Indian CNN...

Mike Duffy: It's almost laughable to be honest that they're calling the investigation bogus. You can see all of the evidence in the story. — CNN-IBN, 22nd September, 2010

Watch the CNN report on Mike Duffy's story [external site]

Well, laughable is how I'd describe Duffy's report. Except that it's far more serious, because so many people round the world believed he was fair dinkum.

And this is just the beginning of the sleight of hand.

Mike Duffy: We were offered the device out of a car boot in a car park north of Delhi. Mr P: It will say ready to shoot, shoot or turn off. Mike Duffy: We paid up and took the case. — Channel Seven News, 20th September, 2010

Now who is this dodgy arms dealer? And why did he let himself be filmed? More to the point, why is he then secretly filmed taking the money?

It's all very puzzling.

So we tracked the mystery man down and he's an Indian businessman from Chandigarh, whose company supplies the Indian Police and Army.

We're going to call him Mr P, because he says he has already suffered enough...

Mr Mark has cut pasted his videos to make a gossip / fraud story. His story has put us into deep trouble... and put at stake the future of our company and the live-le-hood of more than 30 people... — Email from Mr P. to Media Watch, 23rd September, 2010

Read the correspondence between Media Watch and Mr P.

Mr P has told Media Watch he's prepared to supply his mobile phone records and take a lie detector test, and he's already given us a lengthy statement and paper trail of his dealings with the man he knew as Mr Mark or Mark Darcy... but we all know as Mike Duffy.

Mike Duffy: So you could flatten an entire building with that? Mr P: Absolutely. — Channel Seven News, 20th September, 2010

Darcy/Duffy first contacted Mr P around three weeks before Channel Seven's 'investigation' was broadcast, wanting to buy a remote explosive detonating kit used in mining, and claiming to represent an Australian company called Ashburton Mining.

That of course was a lie.

Subject: Remote explosive detonating kit Dear Mr Mark, Thank you for your kind call and inquiry. — Email from Mr P. to 'Mark Darcy' (Mike Duffy), 26th August, 2010

Read the correspondence between Mr P. and 'Mark Darcy' (Mike Duffy)

Some two weeks later Darcy/Duffy arrived in Delhi and was shown a non-operational dummy kit in his hotel room but demanded to see the real thing.

When told it could not be brought to Delhi because security was too high, he agreed to meet Mr P at a restaurant half way between Delhi and Chandigarh.

And it was in the restaurant car park that Mr P was persuaded by Mike Duffy to demonstrate his device on film so Duffy could show it to his supposed Australian mining customers.

He said, picture is worth 1000 words, movie is worth million words. — Email from Mr P. to Media Watch, 23rd September, 2010

And what a demo it was.

Mr P: If I need to blow up this car, all I need further is a detonator and an explosive. — Channel Seven News, 20th September, 2010

With this explosive footage in the can, Duffy and Mr P went into the restaurant for coffee, where, according to Mr P...

Mr Mark requested me to just give the empty suitcase... as he... has done some shopping of glass and decorative wears in Delhi, and he can take them back to Sydney in the suitcase and since it has foam lining, his shopping will reach safely. — Email from Mr P. to Media Watch, 23rd September, 2010

Channel Seven then secretly filmed Mr P accepting 15,000 rupees, about $350.

Mike Duffy: We paid up and took the case... — Channel Seven News, 20th September, 2010

Now it looks like Channel Seven is buying the explosive detonator kit, and secret filming makes the transaction look covert and illegal.

But according to Mr P, Duffy is buying an empty case containing nothing but foam.

We put this to Channel Seven, who replied:

... as it was an undercover investigation we do not propose to make any further comment on these questions. However we stand 100 per cent by the story. — Email from Chris Willis (Sydney News Director, Channel Seven) to Media Watch, 24th September, 2010

Read Channel Seven's responses to Media Watch's questions

We then suggested Duffy could not have had the detonator kit when he took the case through the barricades.

The detonator kit was in Mike's possession for 24 hours during which time he filmed his report. — Email from Chris Willis (Sydney News Director, Channel Seven) to Media Watch, 24th September, 2010

Mr P's response to that was:

This is totally false... why would I lend him a very expensive piece of equipment? — Statement from Mr P. to Media Watch, 24th September, 2010

Indeed, why would he?

Channel Seven then provided a picture of Mike Duffy with the kit.

Mr P is adamant it's just the dummy unit brought to Duffy's hotel room the day before the car park meeting and returned when he bought the case.

Channel Seven adamantly deny this.

But whatever was in the case, one thing is certain: there is no way it could have gone bang.

As Mr P told Duffy in an email before they met...

Equipment needs electronic detonator to operate, which is restricted access. We don't have it and only government agencies have it. — Email from Mr P. to 'Mark Darcy' (Mike Duffy), 24th September, 2010

Even with that detonator it could not blow up the ammonium nitrate fertiliser that Duffy bought unless that's mixed with fuel oil or explosive gel.

And finally, even if Duffy did have a bomb in the case and got it into the stadium, he would still need to lay this bright orange cable to where the bomb was hidden because this detonator kit is not a wireless device.

I think even Indian security would have seen that.

And I believe this makes the entire stunt ridiculous and dishonest.

And the same applies to Duffy's acting... or whatever you'd call this:

Mike Duffy: We also get a demonstration. Geez! — Channel Seven News, 20th September, 2010

Notice how Duffy reels from the blast while the others do not.

And notice how he then reels again...

Mike Duffy: Geez! That was actually quite frightening you could actually feel the blast from here. — Channel Seven News, 20th September, 2010

By the time that second clip is filmed everyone has had time to change position but Duffy is still pretending to reel or recover.

Channel Seven say the real point of this story was that Duffy was able to buy the detonator kit without a license and without showing ID.

But according to Mr P, Duffy didn't actually buy anything... except the case.

And Mr P goes on to claim:

...the kit would have been delivered to him at the airport upon his departure from India. The kit would have... to be cleared... with all the paperwork at Customs. — Statement from Mr P. to Media Watch, 24th September, 2010

He also says:

I have widely traveled (sic) in world, including Australia, but never expected such manipulation of things... — Email from Mr P. to Media Watch, 23rd September, 2010

Finally, Mr P also says he is prepared to come to Australia to give evidence in court.

We are already discussing the matter with our lawyers and Indian Government to take necessary action against Mr Mark. — Email from Mr P. to Media Watch, 23rd September, 2010

If that happens, we look forward to examining that case in detail too.

Meanwhile if you want to read more on this explosive investigation you can go to our website.

But for now that's all from me.

Until next week, good night.

Note: Media Watch approached Richard Morony (Australian Explosives Industry and Safety Group (AEISG) Industry Representative) for some independent comment on the particular detonation device in Mike Duffy's story. You can read his response here.