The father at the centre of the botched 60 Minutes abduction has uploaded a picture to social media of himself and two young children smiling as they enjoy lunch in Beirut.
Their Brisbane mother, Sally Faulkner, returned home to Australia on Thursday and was reunited with her newborn baby Eli, after spending two weeks in a Lebanese prison for a failed attempt to snatch Lehela, five, and Noah, three from her estranged husband.
On Sunday, Ali Elamine, 32, uploaded a photo to Facebook of the children smiling as the three enjoy lunch at what appears to be a Beirut shopping mall.
Ali Elamine (pictured with children Lehela and Noah) – the father at the centre of the botched 60 Minutes abduction – has uploaded a picture to social media of himself and two young children smiling as they enjoy lunch in Beirut
Their Brisbane mother, Sally Faulkner, returned home to Australia on Thursday and was reunited with her newborn baby Eli, after spending two weeks in a Lebanese prison
Mr Elamine forced Ms Faulkner to sign over the custodial rights of the children to have the child abduction charges against her dropped.
‘The custody, the way it happens is I had sole custody in Lebanon way before the custody in Australia came out,’he told news.com.au.
‘Our place of residence is Lebanon. This is where our family used to live. So technically we live here. They’ll be staying here.’
Mr Elamine said he may bring the young children to Australia in the future once ‘things cool off’ and said he would enjoy going surfing if he were to visit.
Mr Elamine forced Ms Faulkner to sign over the custodial rights of the children to have the child abduction charges against her dropped
Mr Elamine said he may bring the young children to Australia in the future once ‘things cool off’ and said he would enjoy going surfing if he were to visit
She was reunited with baby Eli, partner Brendan Pierce, her mother Karen and brother Simon
On Sunday night’s 60 Minutes program, Ms Faulkner cried as she remembered what could be the last time she enjoyed ice creams with Lahela and Noah at a McDonalds in Beirut suburb Furn El Chebbak.
‘Lahela, she looked at me and said: ‘Mummy will you take my ring?’ She gave me her little Barbie ring, she said: ‘This is so you don’t forget me’,’ Ms Faulkner recounted.
Ms Faulkner said her heartbreak at having ‘to say goodbye to my babies’ comes ‘in waves’.
She was reunited with baby Eli, partner Brendan Pierce, her mother Karen and brother Simon.
‘Our place of residence is Lebanon. This is where our family used to live. So technically we live here. They’ll be staying here,’ Mr Elamine said
Ms Faulkner (pictrued) was released from prison on bail on Wednesday along with Tara Brown and her crew, producer Stephen Rice, cameraman Ben Williamson, sound recordist David Ballment
On Sunday night’s 60 Minutes program, Ms Faulkner (pictured with Tara Brown) cried as she remembered what could be the last time she enjoyed ice creams with Lahela and Noah at a McDonalds in Beirut
Ms Faulkner was released from prison on bail on Wednesday along with Tara Brown and her crew, producer Stephen Rice, cameraman Ben Williamson, sound recordist David Ballment.
The children will now live in Lebanon with their father, but Mr Elamine insisted that Ms Faulkner would be able to visit.
Nine Network’s 60 Minutes said they were doing some ‘soul searching’ and admitted to making mistakes during Sunday’s program.
‘There’s one thing we want to state very clearly from the outset: we made mistakes,’ presenter Michael Usher said.