Debora Patta says sorry

Cape Town - 3rd Degree host Debora Patta apologised on air in Tuesday night's broadcast for reporting incorrect facts.

Patta apologised on air for the "assertion of incorrect facts" in a July episode about Metrorail.

In the episode, e.tv's weekly investigative magazine show stated as fact that a Metrorail victim had not received his money from a lawyer's firm – while in fact Metrorail had not yet paid the lawyer's firm the victim's money.

'Apologise for any embarrassment caused'

"In our 3rd Degree programme about Metrorail aired in the week of 9 July, we focused some of our attention on the plight of Bongani Mojafe whose leg had to be amputated after a Metrorail accident.

"In the programme 3rd Degree stated as fact certain allegations which were incorrect about the law firm Raphael Kurganoff Incorporated, the lawyers handling Bongani's case," said Patta.

"We stated that that the law firm had been paid by Metrorail and had not paid the money to Bongani. It had also been stated that the law firm had been in posession of the money since April.

"It has been brought to our attention that at the time of broadcasting that programme, the money from Bongani's case had not been paid to the lawyers by Metrorail, and that the money was only paid to them on Friday, 20 July."

Patta added: "3rd Degree takes this opportunity to apologise to the staff of Raphael Kurganoff for the assertion of incorrect facts. If we had ascertained these facts at the time, we could have presented the true position in relation to this matter. We regret the error and apologise for any embarrassment caused to the firm."