Owen Bonnici to debate Manoel Island deal on Il-KAŻIN x Times of Malta

Culture Minister Owen Bonnici will be grilled about the deal to buy back Manoel Island from MIDI, in a debate on Il-KAŻIN x Times of Malta next week.

The debate will be held at the Grand Master’s Palace in Valletta at 7pm on Wednesday and streamed live on Times of Malta and Il-KAŻIN YouTube channel.

Discussion between Bonnici and moderator Jon Mallia will focus on the government’s agreement to pay MIDI €43 million to terminate the 99-year concession over Manoel Island and Fort Tigné.

Bonnici will be arguing in favour of the statement: 'The government took back Manoel Island and got a good deal for the country'. [Il-gvern gab lura l’ Manoel Island u kiseb deal tajjeb ghal pajjizna.]

The deal followed months of pressure and a petition signed by 29,000 people calling for Manoel Island to be turned into a national park. Campaigners argued MIDI had failed to meet its obligation to substantially complete the project by March 2026 and was therefore in breach of its concession terms. 

Politicians from both sides first said it would be impossible to terminate the deal, but as public pressure grew, both the government and MIDI said they would enter talks to terminate the deal. 

Talks led to agreement in March, when the government said it would pay €43 million to MIDI to take back the concession. Bonnici has claimed that the consortium initially requested €78 million; MIDI has said it had no choice but to accept the €43 million offer. MIDI shareholders are due to vote on the payout next week.  

Il-KAŻIN x Times of Malta is a live monthly debate centred on Malta’s most urgent national issues. Viewers are encouraged to be part of the debate through voting in real time, directly influencing the direction of the debate.

Jon Mallia and Mark Laurence Zammit alternate as hosts. 

Wednesday's debate will examine the history of the Manoel Island concession, whether MIDI’s obligations were broken, and how the government arrived at that final €43 million figure.

Viewers following the debate online will be able to take part through real-time voting at the start, middle and end of the debate.

Times of Malta subscribers can also sign up to attend the live debate at the Grand Master’s Palace. Places are limited and early registration is encouraged.