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Sally Faulkner and Ali al-Amin reach deal before Beirut court hearing Australian mother and TV crew set for release in Lebanon kidnapping case
(35 minutes later)
A deal has been done in the case of a Brisbane mother arrested in Lebanon for allegedly kidnapping her own children, as legal proceedings resume in Beirut. Australian mother Sally Faulkner, journalist Tara Brown and three television crew members are likely to be released from a Beirut jail on Wednesday after a deal was struck to dismiss kidnapping charges against them in exchange for compensation.
The lawyer representing Sally Faulkner confirmed an agreement had been struck with her estranged partner, Ali al-Amin, but would not elaborate. But a British “child recovery agent” and two others implicated in the alleged attempt to kidnap Faulkner’s two children from her estranged Lebanese husband will remain in the country to face the charges, which carry a maximum 20-year sentence.
Related: Sally Faulkner: father of children says attempted kidnap charge stands Related: How did it come to this? Inside the doomed bid to snatch Sally Faulkner's children
A lawyer for al-Amin has also confirmed the deal, which would need to be ruled on by judge Rami Abdullah. Proceedings were due to resume at 11am local time (6pm on Australia’s east coast and 9am BST). Brown and the crew, from the Nine Network’s 60 Minutes program, must pay compensation by 2pm Beirut time in order to secure their release. Nine says its staff could be on a flight back to Australia as early as Wednesday night.
The details of the deal are unclear, and it is also unclear what implications an agreement would have for journalist Tara Brown and three 60 Minutes crew members, who were implicated in the alleged plot to kidnap Faulkner’s two children from their father. Lawyer for Faulkner and her former partner, Ali al-Amin, confirmed a deal had been struck earlier on Wednesday before it was presented around 11am to judge Rami Abdullah.
A spokeswoman for Channel Nine said: “We are before the judge today and will wait and see and we can’t comment on rumours.” The precise details, including the amount paid in compensation over the botched alleged child-snatching, remain unclear.
Adam Whittington, a “child recovery specialist” who allegedly planned the operation to snatch the two children from a south Beirut two weeks ago, and two others are facing the same kidnapping charges, which carry a sentence of up to 20 years’ prison. A defiant Ali al-Amin had said on on Monday he was reluctant to drop charges against his former partner if it made it more likely that the 60 Minutes crew, and others involved in the operation, would be freed too.
Related: 60 Minutes crew's families describe 'living nightmare' as Lebanon talks break down
A defiant Ali al-Amin on Monday indicated that he was reluctant to drop charges against his former partner if it made it more likely that the 60 Minutes crew, and others involved in the operation, would be freed too.
“They are trying to push for that if Sally gets bail, they all get bail,” he said. “I said then I will charge everyone involved and I say it today. It will take some time. I am in no hurry.”“They are trying to push for that if Sally gets bail, they all get bail,” he said. “I said then I will charge everyone involved and I say it today. It will take some time. I am in no hurry.”
More to come ... Faulkner, Brown and seven others were charged last week with armed abduction, purveying threats, and physical harm after a botched attempt to allegedly snatch 5-year-old Lahela and Noah, 3, while they were out walking on a south Beirut street.
The children had been taken to Beirut under the guise of a three-week holiday by their father in May and not returned.