DC9 CREW DEPARTED WITH IMPROPERLY LOGGED MEL ITEM.

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ACFT ASSIGNED TO FLT HAD INOP FLT DATA RECORDER. PER MEL PROCS; IT WAS ASSIGNED TO BE FIXED PRIOR TO MY DEP; THUS I RELEASED FLT WITHOUT MEL. 10 MINS PRIOR TO DEP; I QUERIED PLTS WHO INDICATED IT WAS NOT FIXED. I CONTACTED MAINT CTL WHO STATED FLT WOULD BE HELD AND UNIT FIXED. I INFORMED PLTS TO ENSURE IT WAS FIXED; OR; IF DEFERRED AGAIN PER MEL PROCS; CONTACT ME SO MEL COULD BE ADDED TO RELEASE. ANTICIPATING A 45 PLUS MINS DELAY; I QUERIED PLTS WHEN I SAW FLT AIRBORNE IN 15 MINS. THEY STATED MAINT CHANGED A PART WHICH DID NOT FIX PROB SO UNIT STAYED ON MEL. I ISSUED A RELEASE AMENDMENT TO ADD THE MEL. I BELIEVE 2 VIOLATIONS OCCURRED: 1) MAINT DID NOT FOLLOW MEL PROCS BY RE-DESIGNATING THE REPAIR STATION BEFORE DEP (AN OPTION UNDER THE MEL PROCS). THE CAPT WAS AWARE THIS NEEDED TO BE DONE BUT STILL DEPARTED WITHOUT IT. 2) CAPT ALLOWED FLT TO DEPART WITHOUT MEL BEING ADDED TO THE RELEASE PER PROCS. I EXPLICITLY INSTRUCTED HIM TO DO SO BEFORE HE DEPARTED SO AS TO ENSURE MEL WAS COMPLETED CORRECTLY. IN THE FUTURE; I WILL INHIBIT THE RELEASE SO FLT CANNOT DEPART UNTIL I'M SATISFIED PROCS ARE COMPLETED CORRECTLY.