A number of detention centre officers yesterday denied on oath that rubber bullets were used against immigrants in the Safi riot two weeks ago.

The officers were testifying in court against 23 immigrants accused of taking part in the riot at the detention centre.

One army officer testified that what started out as a relatively peaceful protest quickly escalated into violence after tear gas was fired.

Despite the detention officers’ denial that rubber bullets were used, the Ministry of Justice and Home Affairs admitted last week that a number of these bullets were fired by soldiers during attempts to quell the riot.

The immigrants all deny causing thousands of Euros in damage and taking part in the riot. They number six from Mali, two from Gambia, one from Eritrea, three from Ethiopia, three from Sudan, one from Congo, one from Togo, one from Niger, two from the Ivory Coast, one from Sierra Leone, one from Egypt and one from Nigeria.

One by one, the officers were asked by legal aid lawyers if rubber bullets were used against the immigrants and they each denied it.

Detention officer Tonio Magro told Magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit that on the day in question he had gone to the detention centre in Safi to help when he spotted an immigrant cutting wire fences with pliers. As he approached to try and stop him, the immigrant swore at him and chanted pro-Gaddafi slogans.

He said one of the men behind the riot, who had also provoked another of other immigrants, was 26-year-old Malian Sekou Marco. Mr Magro too denied that rubber bullets were used.

Another detention officer, Ronald Schembri, said there was a lot of fighting between the immigrants in a warehouse on the premises and the people starting the fights were practically the same four people provoking everything.

At one point he could recall a liquid being thrown at law enforcement officers. He added that beds were broken and a number of mattresses set on fire.

Detention officer John Borg gave similar testimony to his colleagues, adding that anyone who tried to calm the immigrants down received threats.

Armed Forces Lieutenant Roderick Azzopardi said 25-year-old Gambian Omar Bah had told him he would get revenge and would kill him and his family. He said the riot escalated when tear gas was fired at the immigrants.