David Whittington, the father of Adam Whittington who is still being kept in jail in Lebanon after a failed child abduction operation protests at the detention of his son outside the Channel 9 headquarters. Picture: AAP/David Moir

Mr Shorten told Sydney radio he would ask what was being done after bumping into former Australian soldier Adam Whittington’s father on the campaign trail.

Whittington, his colleague Craig Michael and Lebanese men Mohammed Hamza and Khaled Barbour were denied bail this week over a 60 Minutes-funded operation to recover the two children of Brisbane mum Sally Faulkner.

Whittington and his colleague Michael have also been moved again, this time from Ebbe prison to Aley prison, legal sources said. They requested the transfer and conditions were regarded as better at the new jail and they were closer to their lawyer. Previously they were held in Beirut’s crowded Baabda courthouse detention centre.

His dad, David Whittington, said he spoke to Mr Shorten for 10 to 15 minutes on Wednesday after a chance lunchtime meeting in the George’s on Queen restaurant in Sydney’s Campbelltown.

David Whittington said Bill Shorten told him he would make sure his son was getting “diplomatic support”. Picture: Adam Yip/The AustralianSource:News Corp Australia

Mr Shorten said in the meeting he would make sure his son was getting “diplomatic support” and would question foreign minister Julie Bishop’s actions in the case.

“He was going to look into the situation, he was aware of the case. He said he will be looking into it and to ‘leave it with me’,” Mr Whittington told News Corp.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said a briefing would be provided to the Opposition if requested.

“At this stage no request has been received,” she said.

Lebanese judicial authorities “advised Australian officials that the UK should take the lead in providing Mr Whittington with consular assistance”.

“I have advocated on behalf of all the Australians detained, including Mr Whittington, to ensure their welfare was being attended to and their case would be resolved expeditiously.

“I am in regular contact with Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil regarding this matter, including meeting on the sidelines of the International Syria Support Group meeting on May 17 in Vienna.

“Mr Whittington’s alleged involvement with Channel Nine or other Australians has no bearing on consular assistance available to him.”

Her comments came as judge Rami Abdullah handed the findings of his investigations into all involved, including the Nine team, to general prosecutor Claude Karam.

His findings will be reviewed and returned to him and a final decision announced on charges, expected within a fortnight.

Judge Abdullah also ordered the getaway boat would no longer be restrained.

Whittington has been racking up huge fees while the boat has been moored in a Beirut marina under court orders.

Adam Whittington’s wife Karin has been trying to get her husband released from jail. Picture: FacebookSource:Facebook

Whittington, who was arrested along with a 60 Minutes crew last month, was born and educated in NSW and served with the Australian Army from 1994 to 1998.

But he is a dual British-Australian citizen through his father, who moved to Australia from the UK at age eight.

Australian embassy officials said he was Britain’s responsibility because he entered Lebanon on his British passport.

“Bill just shook his head, he said, ‘that doesn’t make a difference, he’s Australian’,” Mr Whittington said.

Mr Whittington protested outside Nine’s headquarters on Tuesday after the network cut a deal to free its own staff but left the four other prisoners behind.

“It’s the most outrageous double standards I’ve ever experienced in my life — a monster company like that, leaving half the team there,” he said.

“They hired him and they left him there.”

Whittington’s mother Georgina also called on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to intervene to help her son, who is facing a maximum 20-year prison sentence for kidnap and other offences.

“It would show people he’s got a heart,” she said.

Ms Whittington said Australian embassy officials in Beirut initially ignored her son while pampering to Nine’s needs.