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Mazher Mahmood, the News of the World's 'fake sheikh'.
Fake Sheikh
News International in talks to save 'Fake Sheikh' journalist
Mazher Mahmood, the News of the World’s infamous ‘Fake Sheikh’, may be given a new job to stop him joining another paper.
THE NEWS OF THE WORLD’S infamous ‘Fake Sheikh’ is reportedly in talks to take a senior journalistic role at the Sunday Times – amid fears by the newspaper’s parent News International that he could join a rival title.
The Guardian reports that Mazher Mahmood – best known for a series of ‘stings’ targeting Sarah Ferguson, Sven-Goran Eriksson and some senior Pakistani cricketers, where he would dress as a Saudi Arabian oil millionaire – could be taken on by the broadsheet title, in what would be seen as an unusual promotion for a tabloid journalist.
Mahmood, the NotW’s investigations editor, would be one of the few journalists from the fallen title to be given work at its upmarket stablemate – with other writers being restricted to offers in Siberia and Finland if they want to remain with News International.
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