60 Minutes crew ‘thrown under the bus’

THE mother at the centre of the Lebanon kidnapping controversy has been accused of “throwing everybody under the bus”.

Pictured are Brisbane woman Sally Faulker and her son Noah. Sally Faulkner has been detained in Lebanan after attempting to retrieve the children from her ex-husband. Source: FACEBOOK

THE mother at the centre of the 60 Minutes Lebanon kidnapping controversy has been accused of “throwing everybody under the bus’’ by doing deals with her estranged husband Ali Elamine in her bid for freedom.

Adam Whittington, the founder of Child Abduction Recovery International (CARI) and chief planner of the botched operation 10 days ago, made the claims from his jail cell in an exclusive interview with News Corp Australia’s Jacquelin Magnay.

He is sharing an underground cell at the Baabda detention centre designed for a single person with 60 Minutes crew members Stephen Rice, David Ballment and Ben Williamson.

They, along with reporter Tara Brown, are on trial after a botched attempt to retrieve Brisbane mother Sally Faulkner’s children, five-year-old Lahela and three-year-old Noah, who were taken to Lebanon by their father last year.

The group is facing charges of kidnapping, physical assault, hiding information and criminal conspiracy. Mr Elamine’s 69-year-old mother has alleged she was struck on the head with a pistol during the incident.

The 60 Minutes crew: Tara Brown, David Ballment, Stephen Rice and Ben Williamson.

It has been alleged Channel 9 paid $115,000 to CARI for the operation, with Lebanese authorities saying they have evidence.

Earlier today it emerged that the TV network had hired experienced crisis management specialist Greg Baxter to advise the network over the child snatch saga.

On Friday, 29-year-old Ms Faulkner spoke for the first time from her Beirut prison cell, telling her family she’s okay and not to visit her.

“Please tell my mum and dad how well I am and also Brendan and my in-laws,” she told News Corp. “I am fine but my loved ones need to know that.”

She has told her family not come to Lebanon saying they had priorities at home and she didn’t want them to get more distressed.

It is understood Ms Faulkner left behind her current partner, Brendan Pierce, and their three-month-old baby to travel to the Middle East with a professional child recovery agency to carry out the kidnapping.

Ms Faulkner is sharing a cell with Tara Brown. Both women are trying to be positive about their situation and says they’ve been treated well in prison.

Adam Whittington, founder and CEO of CARI. Picture: YouTube

A Beirut judge said on Wednesday there was “no way the charges will be dropped”.

“There was a violation of the Lebanese authority by all these people, it’s a crime,” Judge Rami Abdullah said.

Ms Faulkner’s lawyer has stressed the key to the outcome of the case relies on Mr Elamine dropping the charges or coming to an agreement with his ex-wife over their children on custody or access.

“I would leave Beiruit in a heartbeat, but events have to follow their course,” Ms Faulkner said.

The Guardian is citing a Beirut judicial source as saying Ms Faulkner could be released on bail as early as Monday if an agreement is reached.

On Tuesday, Mr Elamine told News Corp he was dismayed by the situation.

“It is a big mess, a really big mess, 100 per cent,” he said. “The children are good, they are in good health and that is all that matters not the media not what happened, but it (CCTV of the botched operation) is for everyone to view.

He said his former partner “could have gone about it in a different way, not like this”.

“What happened shouldn’t have happened and the kids should not have been put in a situation where someone could have been harmed; the kids should not have been dragged into this,” he said.

The Australians are due to appear in court again on Monday.