Maputo — The Mozambican authorities have ordered an internal inquiry into the ill-treatment of prisoners at the Maputo top security jail.

According to the general commander of the police, Miguel dos Santos, cited in Wednesday's issue of the independent newsheet "Mediafax", the director of the prison, Fortunato Matangala, has been instructed to head the inquiry, which will seek to establish exactly what happened in the clashes earlier this month that led to the death of one inmate.

Photos published in the Mozambican press over the past fortnight have shown injured prisoners, with their heads bandaged, lying on the floors of their cells, some of them in handcuffs and leg-irons.

The version of events that has appeared to date claims that on 1 January there was a brawl between two groups of prisoners, who had to be separated by warders. Some prisoners sustained serious injuries, but were not taken immediately to hospital.

By the time a prison official realised how serious the situation was, and authorised transport to hospital, it was too late, and one of the wounded men died during the journey.

"Mediafax" also alleges that a second man died earlier, inside the prison. A survivor is still under medical care.

It is not clear how many of the injuries shown in the photographs were inflicted by other prisoners and how many by warders - but much of the press cites the photos as evidence of torture.

So far, no measures have been taken against officials who allowed prisoners in their care to die. Instead, the apparent whistle-blower has been arrested.

A warder named Patricio Vicente Jamal allegedly took the photos, and leaked them to the press. He was detained on Friday.

It is not clear what offence he can possibly be charged with, since Mozambican law encourages people to denounce illegal behaviour. It is far from certain that Jamal is the author of the photos. "Mediafax" says he was arrested merely because he is an amateur photographer who is paid for taking pictures of other policemen.

But he uses an old camera, and "Mediafax" says the quality of the images published in the press indicates that they were taken with a digital camera.