A magisterial inquiry is being held over the failed escape of a prisoner who was nabbed by officers minutes later, in Paola Square.

The prisoner, Dutchman Perry Ingomar Toornstra, 32, who was convicted of drug trafficking in 2000, ran away from guards as he was being taken back to Corradino Correctional Facility on Saturday morning after an hour of prison leave.

A spokesman for the prisoners' rights organisation, Mid-Dlam Għad-Dawl, said that rumours within the prison were that Mr Toornstra was injured as he was intercepted, and was later taken to hospital.

The spokesman, who visited the prison on Tuesday, said other prisoners told him that Mr Toornstra sustained broken ribs and legs, but this could not be confirmed since the prisoner was placed in seclusion, an area that the organisation is not allowed to visit.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Justice and Home Affairs said that if allegations of excessive force have been made, the magisterial inquiry would be investigating those too.

The inquiry would have to establish whether any force used by officers was necessary, the spokesman said.

"It will also have to determine how the prisoner managed to escape from the security guards," he added.

On Saturday Mr Toornstra was given an hour of prison leave to see his mother who had come to visit him.

On his return to the prison, he opened the door of the car that was escorting him back and managed to run away, until he was intercepted next to the HSBC branch in Paola Square.

Mr Toornstra was 27 when he was found guilty of drug conspiracy and of importing some 4,400 ecstasy pills, in April 2000, together with two other Dutchmen, Roland Smits and Patrick Woudenberg.

He was jailed for 20 years and fined Lm40,000 but had his jail term reduced to 15 years and his fine to Lm25,000 following an appeal.

Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera is holding the magisterial inquiry, a spokesman from the Ministry said.

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