The Justice Ministry will pay five Nagoya Prison guards accused of taking part in fatal assaults on inmates in 2001 and 2000 part of their salaries and allowances, ministry officials said Monday.

The move, which will provide the accused guards with about 60 percent of their salaries and benefits from November 2002 to March this year, comes after the five protested over not being paid following their suspension from duties in the wake of their indictment.

The five are among a total of eight prison guards who have been indicted in connection with assaulting inmates at the prison. Although the three others have not lodged a pay-related protest, the officials said they may pay them anyway.

The eight guards are on trial for alleged abuse leading to the death of one inmate in December 2001, the death of another in May 2002, and injuries to a further inmate in September 2002. For the most part, the guards have pleaded not guilty to the charges leveled against them.

The ministry had earlier decided not to pay the eight, but reversed its decision after the five guards in question protested to the National Personnel Authority.

In another case of reported abuse, the ministry withheld one month's salary from a guard at Tokyo's Fuchu Prison over the alleged assault of an inmate, prison officials said. The cut takes effect this month, they said.

According to the officials, the assault took place at around 8 a.m. on June 13, with the male guard in his 20s allegedly beating the male inmate, who is in his 30s.

The inmate suffered neck and thigh injuries and needed two to four days to recover, the officials said.