Family members of the arrested presidential guard officer allegedly linked to the former army chief Paul Malong Awan said Friday they have not met him since the arrest was made in May.
First Lieutenant Lual Akeen Akeen Akec was arrested in May by South Sudan authorities in an unknown location. No one knows his whereabouts since the arrest was made.
A legislator following the case on behalf of the family of the officer told Radio Tamazuj on Friday that Akeen was fine and was still talking to his superiors to allow family members know where he is detained.
“From the interactions I have had with the superiors, the situation has changed, making me feel that the matter could be settled amicably. There should not be fear anymore. I am also talking to the authorities to allow family members visit him so that they are assured of his physical safety and presence”, he said.
But a relative, who identified himself as Akeen Lual Wieu, said the authorities should immediately disclose the location of his cousin, whom he said was jailed on spurious charges and give him access to medical care.
“First of all, as the family we don’t know where he is detained. When we go to Jebel, which is the headquarters of the national security, we are not permitted access to the building,” Wieu said.
“When we go to the headquarters of the external bureau of the national security in Thongpiny, we don’t get any information, the same thing when we go to the offices of the internal bureau of the security service. We do not know where he is actually being detained. No one gives us correct information because the authorities are not talking to us as the family,” he added.