60 Minutes: Nine Network denies it planned to air footage of Beirut child snatch operation

The Nine Network says it had no plans to air footage from the botched Beirut child snatch attempt in a special edition of 60 Minutes on Sunday.

The network's director of communications and public relations, Victoria Buchan, disputed a claim made by The Weekend Australian that footage from the operation was cancelled because of legal concerns.

"It is incorrect," Ms Buchan said.

"The 60 Minutes episode that's going to air tomorrow night doesn't have anything to do with the situation in Lebanon," she added.

A press release sent at 5.12pm on Friday did not list the controversial child recovery operation – which landed four Nine employees, including reporter Tara Brown, Brisbane mother Sally Faulkner and a child recovery team in jail – among stories to be aired.

"We haven't made any decisions at this stage about when our story will go to air," Ms Buchan said.

"We've got a whole bunch of editorial and legal decisions to make around the show.

"There are still matters pending in a Lebanese court and we have an internal review happening.

"When we're ready to make an announcement about when the material will go to air we will."

Confusion remains over when the network will broadcast the story of Ms Faulker's desperate attempt to recover her children, Lahela and Noah, from her estranged husband Ali Elamine, who took the children to Lebanon last year.

Nine told Fairfax Media earlier this week it would air another segment on the Beirut operation after claims reportedly posted by Ms Faulkner on social media that the network would be doing a 90-minute special on the case on May 4.

Ms Buchan said the network had never been involved with assisting the head of the child recovery team, Adam Whittington.

"He's on a British passport," she said. "He had a contract with Sally Faulkner. He has support from the British embassy and he has his own local legal representation.

"We're not involved in his matters at all."

Ms Buchan declined to comment on an email obtained by The Weekend Australian, in which the newspaper claims the Nine Network confirmed details of the plot and plans to hide its involvement with Whittington's child recovery team.

The newspaper also reported that Mr Whittington was upset that he had been excluded from Nine's deal to secure the release of Ms Faulkner and Nine's crew, Brown, sound recordist David Ballment, producer Stephen Rice and cameraman Ben Williamson.

The prosecuting judge Rami Abdullah is still considering what charges might be laid against those involved in the incident.