By Joseph Deng
More than ten men in Aweil have been arrested by the South Sudan army-department of military intelligence. The arrest took place in Aweil East County on unclear or undisclosed reasons according to the families of the people arrested.
Deng Athian Akuei commonly known as Deng Makol, the chairman of NBGs’ trader’s union is among the people being detained and taken to Juba military custody. One of the wives to the Chairman Mr. Deng Makol called on the government to release her husband on bail or take him to court for trial.
“If he has charges that have evidence, then it is good to take him to court than keeping him in military detention for so long and he is not a soldier. Since he was arrested, no charges were made public for their detention,” she said.
A family member to another businessman Abraham Garang Aliik confirmed the arrest but questioned why his relative and others have not been taken to court for justice to take place.
“It is right to arrest but the law of South Sudan talks about 24 or 72 hours of detention and be taken to court or set free. So with the detention of my cousin Abraham with other people is beyond the law’s time frame. As a family, we are asking the government to free them or take them to court.
These are businessmen who have families to take care of and keeping them in detention outside of justice system is so worrying. So we need our government to help us by freeing them or take them to court,” a family to Abraham Garang appealed.
For their part, the administration of South Sudan people’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) was unable to comment by press time.