3rd Degree host Debora Patta had to eat humble pie on her show after broadcasting dodgy information.

The investigative journalist is known for rooting out government and corporate deception, asking hard questions and demanding apologies. But this time, it was the intimidating Patta who had to apologise.

On Tuesday night, she apologised on air for the “assertion of incorrect facts” in a July episode about Metrorail.

During that episode, e.tv’s weekly investigative reporting show incorrectly reported that a Metrorail victim had not been compensated by a lawyer’s firm, when in fact the lawyer’s firm has not received the required money from Metrorail.

“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,” said Patta.

“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,” she continued.

“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.”

It’s OK Deb, we forgive you.