A magisterial inquiry has been launched on the request of prison authorities into a claim made by a former inmate that he was sexually abused by prison warders in exchange for cigarettes.

The claim was made by a 20-year-old former prisoner who called in on a radio show last Tuesday to com-plain about the alleged sexual abuse that was taking place at the Corradino Correctional Facility.

Speaking on Fr Colin Apap’s programme on One Radio, the former prisoner claimed inmates, some of whom were minors, were sexually abused by prison warders in exchange for cigarettes.

The former prisoner also claimed that access to drugs was easier inside prison than outside and that prisoners were usually given the heads-up when a drug search was being planned so the drugs would not be discov-ered.The claims were prominently featured on the front page on the General Workers’ Union weekly It-Torċa on Sunday. The newspaper said the prison authorities had been contacted to react to the claims but no reply had been forthcoming by the time of writing.

Referring to the story, the CCF acting director said in a statement late yesterday that he had reported the matter to the police for investigation and a magisterial inquiry had also been launched over the claims.