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The family of the Australian man 60 Minutes left behind speak out.

He is the man the 60 Minutes crew left behind.

In the wake of the botched kidnapping of Sally Faulkner’s two young children as the negotiations to free the Australian mother and the team of high-profile journalists a key player in the saga was not party to the discussions.

The father-of-two sat in the same cell as the Channel Nine crew but was offered little sympathy or support for his involvement in the Beirut recovery attempt.

Adam Whittington is the CEO and founder of the organisation (Child Abduction Recovery International) revealed to have been paid $69,000 by the Nine network to organise the failed child recovery operation in Beirut earlier this month.

He is still in jail.

The Project spoke to his devestated family last night, revealing another side to the Beirut operation.

 

Georgina Whittington. Source: Screenshot/Network Ten.
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Whittington's mother, Georgina, made a desperate plea for intervention by the Australian government and the Nine network.

"He's not going be the lucky one to get out. He's going to be in prison for a long time and that's going to kill Adam to think that he can't see his kids," Georgina said.

"Where is the government? Where is Channel Nine? Please, help my son."

Project co-host Waleed Aly said it had been reported that Nine paid up to one million dollars for the recovery of the crew and mother Sally Faulkner.

A spokesperson from the network released a statement regarding a financial settlement with the hosts.

"We reached a settlement of the matter with the Lebanese court and that was based on a settlement agreed between Ali and Sally," the spokesperson said.

Karin Whittington. Source: Screenshot/Network Ten.
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The wife of Whittington, Karin, also spoke to The Project to share how she had only spoken to her husband for thirty seconds the day after the crew was released.

"I had a letter from him just explaining his feelings and emotions and about everything but that's it," Karin said.

Co-host Carrie Bickmore asked Karin whether their two young sons understood the situation.

"Do they understand what's going on with their dad?" Bickmore said.

"No. They don't know anything yet. They know he's going to be away for some time and it's complicated but i haven't told them anything yet," Karin said.

"Because the ten year old he understands a lot and Adam is his idol."

"But the five year old - he's not understanding anything yet."

Adam, Karin and their two children. Source: Screenshot/Network Ten.
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Aly asked Karin if she'd heard anything from the Australian and British government.

"I haven't heard anything from the Australian government. I have been in contact with a consular from the British embassy maybe twice," Karin said.

"I am very disappointed in how the Australian government has dealt with all this."

Karin felt as though the 60 Minutes crew had let Whittington down.

"They were in this together. I think they paid themselves in - they paid themselves out," she said.

Whittington is currently in his third week in Beirut jail.

The father-of-two faces up to 20 years if found guilty for his involvement in the operation.