Fairfax Media understands a senior figure contacted Mr Gatto and Mr Khoury last week after a deal between Ali Elamine and his estranged wife Sally Faulkner and Nine to drop kidnapping charges failed. John Khoury and Mick Gatto. Credit:Erin Jonasson EJZ Sources say Channel Nine hoped Mr Khoury could use his contacts in the country to rapidly arrange their release ahead of a criminal trial. The move to bring in outside "negotiators" is expected to raise further questions about the conduct of senior figures at the network in the kidnapping controversy, which is now the subject of an "internal review". Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has also flagged a possible investigation of any payment made to secure their release, calling the TV station's conduct "most unwise".

The plan involving Mr Khoury and Mr Gatto - who work as professional "dispute mediators" - was formulated as the network came under increasing pressure amid almost daily revelations about the close involvement in the 60 Minutes crew in a plan to snatch two children from the streets of Beirut for a TV show. Tara Brown and Stephen Rice arrive at Sydney International Airport after the Beirut saga. Credit:Getty Images It is understood Mr Khoury and Mr Gatto were preparing to fly to Beirut on Monday but the trip - and the pending deal with the network - ended when separate negotiations through another party led to the release of Ms Faulkner and the Channel Nine crew. "We were planning to go and we agreed to do it the Slater & Gordon way - no win, no fee," Mr Khoury said. In 2008, disgruntled investors sent John Khoury and Mick Gatto to Singapore in a bid to recover money after the collapse of stockbroking firm Opes Prime.

Mr Gatto declined to comment. "We are not making any comments about the various rumours racing around about who we might have spoken to or not, nor what any attempts Nine staff might have made to reach anyone they knew with connections in Lebanon to help bring their colleagues home," a Channel Nine spokeswoman said. Ali Elamine has been in a custody dispute with his estranged wife Sally Faulkner. "I can confirm there were no formal Network decisions about engaging their [Gatto and Khoury's] services in any capacity." The spokeswoman later denied anyone "approach[ed] Gatto or anyone associated with him at all, at any time to ask for assistance with our crew in Lebanon".

The 60 Minutes team has now returned to Australia. Media speculation has suggested their release has cost up to $1 million. Their freedom was negotiated just as Fairfax Media revealed the existence of a $70,000 direct payment between the network and the company that was hired to "rescue" the two children and smuggle them back to Australia. It's not the first time Mr Gatto and Mr Khoury have been contracted to solve the messes of corporate Australia on the international stage. Disgruntled investors once sent the duo to Singapore and the United Kingdom in a bid to recover money after the collapse of stockbroking firm Opes Prime in 2008.