AP TELEVISION
Beirut – 20 April 2016
1. Sally Faulkner, mother at the centre of a custody dispute, being led into prison truck to be taken back to prison
2. Various of truck leaving
4. Pan from exterior of court to Ali El Amine speaking to press
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Ali El Amine, Father:
“At the end of the day she is their mother and I guess mothers would do anything for their kids. And yeah hopefully it all gets resolved in some way or another.”
6. Cutaway of journalists
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Ali El Amine, Father:
“I mean am I satisfied? I’m glad no one got hurt and everyone is ok. That’s all that matters to me. Everything else, yeah I mean, it’s all procedures and legal stuff and what not. Yeah. It’s just I think family matters shouldn’t be dragged into these sorts of situations. And that’s (inaudible). I hope I mean kind of…”
8. Cutaway of journalists
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Ali El Amine, Father:
“What’s next for me? I don’t know, hopefully get some swell in the next couple of days. I need to go surf. I’ve been stressed. This has been the most stressful thing I’ve ever experienced in my life. I hope no one ever experiences it.” UPSOUND Journalist: “And what’s next for the kids?” “They carry on with their regular lives, school, work, I mean not work, school, play, and yeah and we’ll figure out something with Sally and we’ll get somewhere where she can come visit. We’ll figure all of that out when it comes to it.”
10. Ghassan Moughabghab, lawyer for Sally Faulkner, walking down steps
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Ghassan Moughabghab, lawyer for Sally Faulkner: ++AUDIO AS INCOMING++
“We reached an agreement with Mr El Amine. And then we signed it in front of the prosecutor. And then the prosecutor accepted the release of Sally (Faulkner) and the four journalists.”
12. Cutaway of Moughabghab talking to journalists
13. SOUNDBITE (English) Ghassan Moughabghab, lawyer for Sally Faulkner:
UPSOUND Journalist: “How is Sally feeling at the end of today? “Happy and sad. Sad because of this story. And sad because she will accept that the children will stay with their father, although that he got a judgment here, a judgment from the (inaudible) court. Taking into consideration the Lebanese law, he’s in his right. And happy that she was released.”
Storyline
A Lebanese investigative judge has released an Australian mother and TV crew on bail in an alleged children abduction case involving Australian and British nationals in Beirut on Wednesday.
The father, Ali El Amine, dropped all charges against the mother of his children and the TV crew that filmed the alleged failed abduction attempt.
He pursues charges against the agency which organised the snatch.
Speaking outside the court, lawyer for mother Sally Faulkner, Ghassan Moughabghab, said the deal had been signed “in front of the prosecutor”.
Judge Rami Abdullah said the state still has to review whether to drop the charges or not, but added that a “crime” has been committed.
However, the judge said if there are public charges against the mother and the TV crew and others detained with them, they will have to face them in Australia.
The mother will be released today and allowed to leave the country.
