Bank transfer of $69,000 links Channel 9 to child kidnap expert

THE lawyer for jailed child abduction recovery members has lashed out at Channel 9 for leaving his clients behind saying the operation was a “joint venture”.

REDACTED VERSION - ANZ Payment Detail Report showing payment of $69,000 from TCN Channel Nine Pty Ltd to Adam Whittington for Investigation Into My Missing Child. Picture: Supplied

THE lawyer for jailed child abduction recovery members has lashed out at Channel 9 for leaving his clients behind saying the operation was a “joint venture”.

As a money trail appeared to link the broadcaster with Child Abduction Recovery International (CARI) the Lebanese lawyer representing the men said his clients had been let down.

CARI boss Adam Whittington along with colleague Craig Michael and two other men remain in a Lebanese prison following a botched kidnapping attempt on Australian mum Sally Faulkner’s children.

This morning Lebanese lawyer Joe Karam told Melbourne’s KIIS 101.1 hosts Matt and Meshel that the men were left out of the entire negotiation process.

Mr Karam said he was hopeful and confident they would be released but maintained Channel 9 funded the trip and that the crew along with his clients and Ms Faulkner operated as a team.

“Yes they did hire our clients, they did wire for them money to instruct them to do the job,” he said this morning.

“And it was part of — they became a team.

“It was a joint venture between Channel 9 and CARI and they were one team, and our clients are very upset and angry that Channel 9 decided to make segregated arrangement and consider as if they were completely different and they have nothing to do with those people. They left them behind.”

Mr Karam said he was outraged his clients had been purposely excluded from any negotiations which have taken place in recent days which could have resulted in them being freed along with the 60 Minutes crew.

He said he found out two days ago that the deal with the crew was being negotiated but held out hope his clients would be part of that.

It comes as journalist Peter Greste said Channel Nine’s 60 Minutes crew had “some explaining to do” over accusations it paid for a botched child recovery in Lebanon, AAP reported.

“What we need to look at is the issue around people paying for stories,” Mr Greste said.

“I’ve never felt particularly comfortable with it ... whether it was appropriate in this case or not is still an open question.

“Channel 9 obviously has some explaining to do on that front.”

The broadcaster has faced heavy criticism for securing the release of its 60 Minutes crew and Ms Faulkner, but leaving the CARI team behind.

Yesterday, a spokeswoman for Nine told news.com.au that some compensation was paid to father Ali Elamine to help secure their release but would not say how much.

ANZ Payment Detail Report showing payment of $69,000 from TCN Channel Nine Pty Ltd to Adam Whittington for Investigation Into My Missing Child.

When asked why Nine had not included the four members of CARI in the deal, the spokeswoman said they were “not part of our team” and had their own legal advice.

She denied Nine had any obligation to the group in regard to ensuring their release.

The storm surrounding the release of the men comes as Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull today said he has “no doubt” payments — that some have referred to as potential “bribes” — made to free the 60 Minutes crew from a Lebanese jail would be investigated.

Nine is under pressure over speculation it paid millions to get the television crew released from jail in Lebanon.

The 60 Minutes crew arrived back in Sydney last night. Picture: Jane Dempster/The Australian

“There was compensation as announced by the judge, we are not discussing details,” the Nine spokeswoman said.

But there has been speculation that the Australian Securities and Investments Commission may investigate the “bribes” paid.

When asked whether ASIC would investigate, Mr Turnbull told 2SM presenter John Laws he had “no doubt” the payment would be of interest to many regulatory agencies.

He also said he thought the operation was “most unwise”.

The network is also under pressure over reports it paid a child recovery group directly for the kidnapping attempt.

News Corp has obtained a payment slip which appears to show a transfer of $69,000 from the network to a company connected with CARI in late January this year.

The account belongs to Mr Whittington — the founder of CARI, a former Australian soldier but travelling on a British passport — who Nine claims they have nothing to do with.

The payment was for “Investigation into missing child”.

A second bank transfer is thought to have increased the amount paid to $115,000.

The Nine Network has already promised a major inquiry into how the “child recovery” story went so badly wrong, with the crew now safely back in Sydney.

Tara Brown and Sally Faulkner pictured after being released. Picture: Channel 9

A spokeswoman for Nine wouldn’t comment directly on the transfer to news.com.au this morning because it would be part of the internal review.

“I am still aware that Sally Faulkner remains in Lebanon so I won’t be saying anything about this specific case until she is home. It was Sally’s story we were there to cover,” the spokeswoman said.

Last night, as the bank transfer claims emerged, Nine maintained they had “nothing to do” with Mr Whittington “and never did”.

It follows a report in last night’s 7.30 report which claimed controversial former NSW politician Eddie Obeid made a number of calls to his homeland of Lebanon after being asked to speak to politicians there by a friend at Nine.

When asked if Nine either directly or indirectly made the approach to Obeid the spokeswoman said “no”.

Nine chief executive Hugh Marks detailed the steps the broadcaster would next take in an email to staff on Thursday afternoon.

“It is important to reiterate that at no stage did anyone from Nine or 60 Minutes intend to act in any way that made them susceptible to charges that they breached the law or to become part of the story that is Sally’s story. But we did become part of the story and we shouldn’t have.”

He said the review would be led by Gerald Stone, 60 Minutes’ founding producer, and would establish “what went wrong” that placed staff in such peril.

“We will task the review with recommending the necessary actions to ensure that none of our colleagues are put in a similar position in the future.”

Originally published as Bank transfer of $69,000 links Channel 9 to child kidnap expert