Channel Nine demanded that 60 Minutes presenter Tara Brown should be involved at ‘critical moments’ in the planned kidnapping of two young children in Lebanon, an email has revealed.
The veteran reporter was even supposed to board a getaway boat with three TV crew members following the abduction of Sally Faulkner’s children in Beirut earlier this month.
The email, reportedly sent from a Nine employee to Child Abduction Recovery International founder Adam Whittington, also discussed payment for the illegal operation.
Mr Whittington, who is still behind bars, has claimed that Nine paid him a total of $115,000 to snatch Ms Faulkner’s two children from her estranged husband Ali Elamine’s family on April 6.
‘Our stories are based on our reporter being involved at critical moments and that’s how I’ve been able to get approval here for this story,’ the email from Nine said, according to the Daily Telegraph.
Channel Nine demanded that 60 Minutes presenter Tara Brown should be involved at ‘critical moments’ in the planned kidnapping of two young children in Lebanon, an email has revealed
The veteran reporter was even supposed to board a getaway boat with three TV crew members following the abduction of Sally Faulkner’s children in Beirut earlier this month
‘The reporter on the story will be Tara Brown, one of our most experienced journalists.’
The Nine employee voiced concern that the CARI founder had not been able to guarantee that all four crew members could be on the getaway boat.
‘I understand nothing is guaranteed in this business — things can go wrong and plans sometimes have to be changed,’ the email said.
‘But I hope the intention is still for all four of our crew to be on the boat.’
The email also discussed a final payment of $46,000 for the planned operation.
‘Finally, can you please send me an invoice for the final payment of AUD 46,000, as our accounts department needs an invoice to process payments,’ the email said.
The email, reportedly sent from a Nine employee to Child Abduction Recovery International founder Adam Whittington (left), also discussed payment for the illegal operation
Mr Whittington’s lawyer Joe Karam previously released a bank statement which allegedly shows that the Nine Network directly paid at least $69,000 for the failed kidnapping
Mr Whittington’s lawyer Joe Karam previously released a bank statement which allegedly shows that the Nine Network directly paid at least $69,000 for the failed kidnapping.
The documents, which were presented to a Beirut court, show that a payment was sent to Child Abduction Recovery International (CARI) with the reference ‘Investigation Into My Missing Child’.
Mr Karam also slammed the ‘unethical’ decision to leave the men in jail, saying that Nine had run away from any responsibility.
Brown, her 60 Minutes crew and Ms Faulkner were released after two weeks in a Lebanese jail on Wednesday April 20 after Mr Elamine agreed to drop charges,
The reporter arrived back in Sydney the following day along with producer Stephen Rice, sound recordist David Ballment and cameraman Ben Williamson.
It is understood that they were released after Nine reached a US$500,000 deal with the father.
Brown, her 60 Minutes crew and Ms Faulkner were released after two weeks in a Lebanese jail on Wednesday April 20 after Mr Elamine agreed to drop charges,
The moment Brown and Ms Faulkner were freed from prison after two weeks behind bars
The reporter arrived back in Sydney along with producer Stephen Rice, sound recordist David Ballment and cameraman Ben Williamson
32-year-old Ali Elamine with five-year-old Lahela (right) and three-year-old Noah (left)
Channel Nine’s news boss has since admitted that the network needs to reconsider the current strategies on big-money stories.
Darren Wick said Channel Nine needs to take responsibility for its actions and analyse the situation to understand what went wrong.
‘We can’t sit here and think: ‘we didn’t do anything wrong, we had a bit of bad luck’. You make your own luck,’ Mr Wick said, according to the Daily Telegraph.
Brown said she did not think it would get so bad when they originally faced questioning.
She remembered thinking: ‘We are here just to do a story on a very, very desperate mother.
‘We’re journalists, they’ll understand that. They’ll see reason, you know?
‘I just thought reason would prevail. And it didn’t.’
Brisbane mother Sally Faulkner returned to Australia on Thursday night without her children Lahela, five, and Noah, three (pictured with her baby to a different father, and her mother)