The identities of two prison inmates accused of trying to kill convicted drug kingpin Tony Mokbel have been revealed.

Teira Bennett, 21, and Eldea Teuira, will face the Geelong Magistrates Court for a filing hearing on Friday, charged with attempted murder.

Mokbel remains in a serious condition at the Royal Melbourne Hospital after being knocked unconscious and stabbed, at Barwon Prison in Lara, south-west of Melbourne, on Monday afternoon.

The 53-year-old was jumped as he was returning to his cell from the prison’s main unit, just before the jail went into lockdown at 4pm.

A 31-year-old man was also treated in hospital after he tried to help Mokbel.

Bennett and Teuira are also facing charges of intentionally causing serious injury and causing serious injury intentionally in circumstances of gross violence.

Mokbel was attacked while walking past a birthday celebration at the prison.

Facebook posts revealed Bennett celebrated his birthday on the day of the alleged attack.

Victoria’s Commissioner for Corrections, Emma Cassar, said CCTV footage showed two men being quickly separated within moments of the alleged attack.

She said three homemade weapons, or shivs, were later found.

Mokbel was in the process of making a bid for freedom on the back of the Lawyer X scandal which revealed one of his former lawyers had been providing information about him to Victoria Police, as a registered police informer.

However, Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton told ABC Radio Melbourne an investigation was looking into why the attack happened, but it was likely linked to internal prison tensions.

“At this stage the most likely theory is around inter-prison feuding,” Mr Ashton said.

-ABC