B737-300 CAPT FOUND SOMEONE AMENDED AND ALTERED HIS ACFT MAINT LOG ENTRY; WHEN HE DID NOT INDICATE THE DISCREPANCY WAS OK TO BE DEFERRED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE MEL.

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WHILE ENRTE FROM MSY; THE FO'S CREW SEAT VERT ADJUSTMENT HANDLE BROKE OFF. DISPATCH AND MAINT WERE NOTIFIED VIA RADIO; AND INFORMED THAT A WRITE-UP WOULD BE ENTERED INTO THE LOGBOOK REQUIRING MAINT ACTION. A LOGBOOK ENTRY WAS MADE STATING THE 'FO'S CREW SEAT VERT ADJUSTMENT HANDLE BROKE OFF IN FLT.' MEL REQUIRES ACTION BY A QUALIFIED MECH TO LOCK DOWN THE SEAT INTO A DESIRED POS AND DISCONNECT THE VERT ADJUSTMENT SYS. WE ARRIVED AT GATE. I SPOKE WITH THE OUTBOUND CAPT AND INFORMED HIM THE ACFT LOGBOOK REFLECTS AN OPEN WRITE-UP REQUIRING MAINT ACTION PRIOR TO RELEASE AS PER THE MEL. I CALLED DISPATCH FROM THE JETWAY; WHO CONNECTED ME WITH MAINT. AFTER REVIEWING THE MEL; WE ALL AGREED THAT MAINT WAS REQUIRED ON THE ACFT; AND CONTRACT MAINT WAS NOTIFIED. I DISCUSSED THE DECISION WITH THE OUTBOUND CAPT; AND AT HIS REQUEST; HANDED HIM THE PHONE. AS I WAS DEPARTING; THE CAPT ASKED IF I WAS GOING TO SIGN OFF THE ACFT. I TOLD HIM NO; IN THAT THE ACFT REQUIRED A MAINT ACTION PRIOR TO RELEASE. HE STATED HE UNDERSTOOD; AND THAT HE WOULD TAKE CARE OF IT. LATER THAT EVENING; I CALLED OPS TO SEE HOW THE FLT HAD MADE OUT. I WAS INFORMED CONTRACT MAINT HAD NEVER SHOWN; AND THE FLT DEPARTED ABOUT 20 MINS AFTER I LEFT. THE NEXT MORNING; I SPOKE WITH THE OPS AGENT WHO HANDLED THE FLT; AND HE STATED THE CAPT SIGNED OFF THE ACFT AND LEFT. THE MAINT LOG SHEET RECORDS SHOW AN ADDITIONAL ENTRY IN THE DISCREPANCY SECTION ON LOG SHEET NUMBER TO READ 'OK TO CONTINUE PER MEL.' THIS ACTION TAKEN BY THE OUTBOUND CAPT; MAINT; AND DISPATCH WAS WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE OR CONSENT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 587206: MY CHIEF PLT CALLED TO INFORM ME THAT A MAINT MEL ACTION THAT I HAD AGREED TO WAS ACTUALLY INCORRECT. I BRIEFED HIM ON ALL THE DETAILS AND HE RECOMMENDED THAT I FILE THIS RPT; SINCE THIS EVENT MAY INVOLVE A POSSIBLE FAR VIOLATION. I INITIATED A 3-WAY TELECON WITH DISPATCH AND MAINT CTL. WE DISCUSSED THE APPLICABLE MEL ITEM. WE AGREED THAT SINCE THE HANDLE WAS BROKEN; THAT THE CONNECTING ROD/SPRING WAS ALSO BROKEN; AND SINCE MY FO WAS SATISFIED WITH THE SEAT HEIGHT; WE COULD CONTINUE THE FLT PER THE MEL. I THEN ENTERED THAT INFO INTO THE LOGBOOK. WE FLEW TO ZZZ; WHERE COMPANY MAINT ATTEMPTED TO FIX THE SEAT. THEY WERE UNABLE TO MAKE THE REPAIRS IN A TIMELY MANNER; SO WE CONTINUED ON PER THE MEL FOR 2 MORE LEGS; WHERE THE ACFT WAS APPARENTLY TAKEN OUT OF SVC. IN THE FUTURE; IF I HAVE ANY DOUBTS ON INTERPING THE MEL; I PLAN TO INVOLVE THE CHIEF PLT ON CALL; SO AS NOT TO BE LED DOWN THE WRONG PATH BY MAINT OR DISPATCH.