Sally Faulkner unable to contact children in Lebanon

SALLY Faulkner has been prevented from having any contact with her young children in Lebanon, a family source says.

Sally gave up custody of her two children, Noah and Lahela, in a deal reportedly secured by the Nine Network.

SALLY Faulkner has been prevented from having any contact with her young children in Lebanon, a family source says.

The Brisbane mother at the centre of the 60 Minutes child-snatch drama has been blocked from contacting five-year-old Lahela and three-year-old Noah by her estranged husband Ali Elamine in Lebanon, the source said.

“No Skype, no photos, blocked on WhatsApp and (Mr Elamine) is not answering phone calls from her,” they said.

Ms Faulkner gave up custody of her two children in a deal reportedly secured by the Nine Network paying a large sum to Mr Elamine following the botched attempt to recover them.

She and the Nine crew were arrested and spent two weeks in a Beirut jail last month after a child-recovery team seized the children from a street as they were walking with their Lebanese grandmother.

The Australian Family Court granted Ms Faulkner full custody of Lahela and Noah but she gave up that right in exchange for Mr Elamine dropping his abduction charges.

That led to Ms Faulkner and the 60 Minutes crew’s release from prison, although they still face possible criminal charges.

Sally with Lahela and Noah. Picture: Facebook

Ali Elamine with his children. Picture: Facebook

Meanwhile, The Australian has reported the child recovery agent involved in the operation, Adam Whittington, who remains behind bars, is hoping to be bailed in Lebanon on Wednesday.

His father, David, told the paper he was looking to raise enough cash to reach a possible financial settlement.

There was plenty of backlash for the 60 Minutes crew who have faced endless questions over the incident.

60 Minutes addressed the issue on air on April 24, with reporter Michael Usher admitting “we made mistakes” in pursuing the story of Ms Faulkner’s attempt to snatch her children from their father.

But reporter Tara Brown maintained that she and her crew were “just journalists doing our job”, expressing shock at the actions of the Lebanese authorities.

Channel Nine CEO Hugh Marks revealed in a leaked email that the broadcaster would conduct a full review to “ascertain what went wrong” and why its systems failed to protect its staff, but reiterated it will continue to report on child abductions.

He sent an email to all staff describing his “enormous relief” over the news Australian mother Sally Faulkner, reporter Tara Brown and her 60 Minutes crew — David “Tangles” Ballment, Stephen Rice and Ben Williamson — had been released from prison after charges against them were dropped.

He revealed the broadcaster would conduct a “full review ... to ascertain what went wrong and why our systems, designed to protect staff, failed to do so in this case.”

The 60 Minutes crew David Ballment (from left), Stephen Rice, Tara Brown and Ben Williamson after arriving back from Lebanon.