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The Australian investigative news team detained in Lebanon for its involvement in a child "abduction" attempt has arrived back in Australia overnight, after cutting a deal to secure their release earlier this week.
Reporter Tara Brown, along with her news crew from the 60 Minutes program shown on the Nine Network, were held at a Beirut prison for almost two weeks after being arrested for their part in filming and assisting the "recovery" of two Australian children from their Lebanese father, who had taken them to live in Lebanon without their mother's approval.
Earlier this month, Sally Faulkner, mother of the two children, traveled to Beirut with the 60 Minutes news crew in an attempt to bring the children back to Australia, but were arrested after the attempt to recover the children turned sour.
After the news team touched down late on Thursday night, Brown told reporters they were "glad to be home", but refused to take any questions on the ordeal.
But the return of the media comes at a sensitive time, as News Corp obtained proof the Nine Network paid 55,000 U.S. dollars into an account belonging to Adam Whittington, the founder of Child Abduction Recovery International (CARI), the company involved in the botched recovery in Lebanon.
Nine had previously denied involvement with CARI and Whittington, however, the bank statement showed TCN Channel Nine Pty Ltd paid the money into the account with a description, "Investigation into missing child".
A spokesperson from Nine refused to comment to local media on Friday, but admitted the transfer would be part of the "internal review" that Nine would be conducting.
Whittington and another CARI contractor, Craig Michael, remain in a Beirut prison and are still facing charges, after Nine refused to assist the pair when securing the freedom of its news crew.
Further allegations were filed against the Nine Network overnight after the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) said former politician Eddie Obeid, of Lebanese background, was asked by Nine to call Lebanese politicians in order to help secure the freedom deal for the members of the news team.
Charges against Brown, along with her producer, cameraman and sound recordist carried a minimum of 10 years in jail if found guilty, but they were suddenly released without charge earlier this week at a suggested "multi-million dollar" cost to Nine.
Meanwhile on Thursday, the Australian government weighed into the debate surrounding the news crew. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull slammed the operation as reckless and said Australians traveling abroad must always abide by local laws.
The recovery operation was planned after Faulkner alleged the father had taken the two children to Lebanon for a holiday, but had failed to bring them back to Australia.
For the last few months, the father, along with the children, had been going about daily life in Beirut, initially without Faulkner's knowledge and fully without her approval.
Faulkner, who was also released, remains in Lebanon visiting the children, and has struck a deal with the father to reopen communication lines amid divorce proceedings.
She will retain the right to visit the children in a third country if she is disallowed from entering Lebanon again.
