Embarrassed SBS executives have announced they are pulling a new documentary from their schedules after it emerged one of the key figures in the program is reportedly a fraud.

Michael LaHoud, who stars in the production Once Upon a Time in Punchbowl, has claimed to have served a jail term of almost five years for armed robbery during which time he fathered three daughters in “conjugal visits”.

But court records reportedly show that the heavily tattooed LaHoud was in custody for just four days, while Middle Eastern crime experts reportedly have never heard of the so-called “gangster”.

“The integrity and accuracy of SBS programming and respect for our audience is paramount, therefore the network has decided to remove the series from its schedule until full investigations are carried out to its satisfaction,” SBS said in a statement.