60 Minutes case heads back to Lebanon court

The 60 Minutes case will be back before a court in Lebanon today with Adam Whittington likely to receive further jail time, according to media reports.

Investigative Judge Rami Abdullah will announce the findings of his investigation at the Baabda Palace of Justice in Beirut.

This includes findings for 60 Minutes reporter Tara Brown, producer Stephen Rice, cameraman Ben Williamson, sound recordist David Bailment, Brisbane mother Sally Faulkner, child recovery agent Adam Whittington, his British colleague Craig Michael and two Lebanese men.

According to News Corp reporter Charles Miranda, Whittington and his associates are expected to receive another 3 months prison time.

All are expected to be found to have a case to answer for felony kidnapping but the 60 Minutes team could possibly be found guilty in absentia and receive a suspended sentence and not have to return to Lebanon.

The case will be ruled on wholly, rather than individually. The investigation should include evidence of the extent to which the Lebanese court finds the Nine Network was involved in the crime, beyond what is already known of its $100,000 indirect financing of the Whittington operation.

The Australian reports Nine transferred more than $500,000 to its Lebanese legal team last week, lifting the network’s costs to well over $US2 million in legal fees alone.