It was the personal anguish of the Nine Network’s cameraman Benjamin Williamson and sound recordist David Bailment at not being able to see their children that led to Ali Elamine agreeing to drop personal charges against his estranged wife and the entire 60 Minutes crew who are now free to leave after being detained for a botched child-recovery operation in Beirut two weeks ago.
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An Australian woman and four journalists accused of kidnapping her children from their Lebanese father in Beirut were released on bail Wednesday after he dropped the charges against them.
Tara Brown and Sally Faulkner after being released.
“Everyone might be assuming that 60 Minutes are going to do the big extravaganza on Sunday night, that would seem to be the obvious thing to do, but they’re not”, Ford explained.
The network reported that Elamine had told a judge he wanted the charges dropped against the group, saying the current affairs team was just doing its job.
Ms Bishop said that, while Australia had provided consular assistance to Mr Whittington, Lebanon would liaise with British authorities as he was travelling on his British passport.
As part of the settlement reached on Wedsnesday, Ms Faulkner surrendered any custody claims to the two children in Lebanon.
Morally speaking, Ms Faulkner appeared to occupy the higher ground, having agreed with Mr Amin that their children could go to Beirut for a holiday (it was he who decided they should not return home).
How did the mother and the 60 Minutes crew wind up in jail?Faulkner’s ex-husband, Ali Elamine took their two children to Lebanon in May 2015 but never brought them home.
Faulkner, who was also released, remains in Lebanon visiting the children, and has struck a deal with the father to reopen communication lines amid divorce proceedings.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Faulkner and 60 Minutes crew may not be out of the woods yet and they may still face criminal charges.Whittington and Michael remain detained in Lebanon facing charges. “They want to have their first conversation with their family”.
“I can not comment on the details of the case but if the outcome is that Adam has committed a crime he will accept that and respect the Lebanese legal system and their right to punish him”, she said.
60 Minutes journalist Tara Brown and 60 Minutes producer Stephen Rice arrive at Sydney International Airport.
Sally Faulkner, the mother, was arrested along with the the Nine crew, including star reporter Tara Brown, shortly after Lahela, age six, and Noah, four, were grabbed from their grandmother in Beirut.
The Australian Family Court granted Ms Faulkner full custody of her two children but she gave up that right in exchange for Mr Elamine dropping his abduction charges. Once inside the vehicle they embraced one another.
“I hope I can see them one day again in Australia, I really do”, she said.
Elamine has said his mother was concussed during the child snatching, and someone needs to take responsibility for it.
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In a separate development, 7.30 has confirmed controversial former NSW politician Eddie Obeid was approached by a friend of his at Channel Nine, and made a number of calls to senior Lebanese politicians in relation to the case.
