Player's brother 'still captive'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/west_midlands/7098062.stm

Version 0 of 1.

The brother of Birmingham City footballer Wilson Palacios is thought to be still being held by kidnappers, despite reports to the contrary.

The club's website said on Thursday that 15-year-old Edwin Palacios had been released after being taken from his home in La Ceiba, Honduras.

But relatives in the Central American country have since denied this.

The club said it now appeared Wilson Palacios had been misinformed but it was trying to clarify the situation.

It said it had been unable to contact Palacios, who is in Miami training with the Honduras national team, because of the time difference.

'Incorrectly informed'

It said in a statement: "The club was told in good faith yesterday by both the player himself and his agent that Wilson's 15-year-old brother Edwin had been released by his kidnappers.

"It now appears that although the situation is close to being resolved, Wilson and his agent had been incorrectly informed themselves."

The 23-year-old loan player had talked to reporters about his brother's release, telling setantasports.com he could now "fully focus myself on football, thanks to God".

But relatives and government officials in Honduras soon raised doubts about the story.

Security Ministry spokesman Hector Ivan Mejia was quoted by the Associated Press agency as saying: "We don't know where this story came from, because the boy is still not free."

And Edwin Palacios' aunt Mayra Cacho was quoted by the Honduran Channel 7 station as saying: "My nephew is still kidnapped... and we are praying for him."