Two prison officers yesterday denied lying under oath when they testified in the case against four of their colleagues charged with beating up an inmate.

Raymond Theuma and James Abela testified in criminal libel proceedings they instituted against the newspaper Malta Today over an article that made the allegation. They are suing the paper’s online editor, Matthew Vella, and journalist Raphael Vassallo.

The case first came to light in 2008 when Perry Ingomar Toornstra claimed he had been badly beaten up by four prison officers shortly after he escaped from custody.

Mr Toornstra had just returned to jail following an hour-long visit to his mother when the car stopped at the front gate. He escaped but was caught soon after.

He is currently serving a 15-year term for a drug trafficking conviction.

Four officers, Francis Debono, Francis Meli, Daniel Cuschieri and George Falzon, have pleaded not guilty to violently assaulting Mr Toornstra.

Mr Debono and Mr Meli, both experienced guards, were also separately charged with “carelessly” allowing Mr Toornstra to escape.

The case is still pending.

During the libel proceedings yesterday, Mr Theuma testified that in the article, entitled Grim Reality of “Victorian” Prison Conditions, published on January 9, 2011, it was claimed they had lied under oath when this was not true.

He said that on August 9, 2008, he was stationed in division six of the prison and was in the Special Response Team office when he saw Mr Toornstra walking up the steps and past the office. He took him inside the office and noticed scratches on Mr Toornstra’s arm.

Mr Theuma said he had to keep him at arm’s length to prevent the prisoner from pushing him. This happened at about 8.30 p.m. when inmates were meant to get into the cells for the night.

There were another two officers present and they acted as security. A nurse was called and checked him out and she said there was nothing wrong with him.

He was checked a second time right before he was put back into his cell.

The only time he got physical with Mr Toornstra was to make him walk back to his cell, Mr Theuma said. He saw no one assaulting Mr Toornstra.

The other guard, Mr Abela, told the court he was duty officer when a call came in to say that Mr Toornstra had escaped. He left at a run with another two officers and arrived in Paola square seconds later. There he found Mr Toornstra violently resisting his two colleagues.

It took five men to subdue him and put him in the car to take him back to prison. He said that the inmate was examined twice by a nurse and in both instances she found nothing wrong with him.

The case continues.