Australian Sally Faulkner and four Channel Nine journalists arrested in Lebanon for their alleged involvement in the attempted kidnapping of Faulkner’s two children, were released from a Beirut jail after a deal was struck between the Australian broadcaster and Faulkner’s ex-husband, Ali al-Amin.
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“I have agreed to release the Australian crew and the mother on bail after the children’s father and grandmother dropped the personal charges against all five of them”, judge Ramy Abdallah told the court.
Australian TV presenter Tara Brown (back) and Sally Faulkner, an Australian woman accused of abducting her children, are released from prison on April 20, 2016 in Baabda northeast of Beirut.
Mr Amin has apparently not dropped his charges against two Britons and two Lebanese who allegedly helped with the abduction. Elamine maintained his position he has not been paid in the deal, but then Carrie asked whether Channel Nine “paid anyone surrounding you or connected to you anything?”
Sally Faulkner has told of the moment she said her last goodbyes to her two children in Beirut when her five-year-old daughter gave her a Barbie ring “so you don’t forget me”.
Brown, as well as producer Stephen Rice, cameraman Ben Williamson and sound recordist David Ballment, have arrived home to speculation the current affairs show may have directly paid the child recovery service as opposed to paying Faulkner for her story.
The judge in the case, Rami Abdullah said the state still has to decide whether to drop public criminal charges against the suspects, but that Ms Faulkner and the camera crew would be free to leave Lebanon once they posted bail.
But he did admit he’d like Channel 9 to “cough up” something.
Ms Brown says Ms Faulkner did everything she could. Faulkner is expected to meet Ali and their children at the courthouse Thursday, before leaving the country the day after.
The veteran journalist and her crew face at least another two nights in jail, after the hearing was postponed so lawyers could continue negotiations.
The two children at the center of the case were snatched from their grandmother – al-Amin’s mother – and a domestic worker while they were on their way to school in Beirut two weeks ago.
After the ordeal its crew and Ms Faulkner have faced, Channel Nine will most likely savour ratings gold when their story is told, but academics warn it could be a pyrrhic victory.
Ms Faulkner has now been reunited with her new partner Brendan Pierce and their three-month-old son Eli, but says she’s numb.
A Nine spokesperson said the station would not comment on the latest details after CEO Hugh Marks announced a review into what happened this morning.
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CCTV footage shows the children being bundled into a auto by several men.
