Arnold Cassola demands investigation into ties between Prime Minister and Bonnici Brothers

Independent political candidate Arnold Cassola has called for an investigation into the potential for “insider knowledge” arising from the ties between Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela and Bonnici Brothers, a company originally involved in roadworks and civil engineering that has in recent years diversified into the construction, retail (of industrial machinery and home furnishings), and energy.

It is the last of these that is the subject of Dr Cassola’s call – which he clarified is addressed to any authority with the power to investigate – with the long-time politician pointing to a €600 million tender for a new waste-to-energy incinerator that was won by the company (and later scrapped by the Court of Appeal due to conflict of interest on the adjudicating board) and a €37 million tender to provide a diesel-powered temporary power station to Enemalta.

Most recently, in July 2024, with hit by a series of long power cuts that have been highly embarrassing to the Government, Enemalta started deploying large generators to Maltese towns and villages to shore up power supply in areas hit by the increasingly frequent outages.

The generators – “quickly ordered by Enemalta for an unknown sum of money” – have been seen being towed by Bonnici Brothers trucks, noted Dr Cassola.

He drew attention to Bonnici Brothers and the Prime Minister’s relationship, having previously been partners on at least two property deals, one of which also involved Christian Borg, a suspected criminal allegedly involved in drug trafficking and money laundering.

In the complex transaction, Mr Borg applied for a development permit on a plot of land in Żabbar, to which he had no ostensible ties. According to Times of Malta, the site was subject to a promise of sale to be bought by Malta Gas Distributors, a company in which Bonnici Bros director Gilbert Bonnici had a stake, alongisde a gas distributor.

Dr Abela – then a backbench MP – entered the picture on 1st June 2018, when the promise of sale agreement was partially transferred to his and his wife’s names. On the same day, Mr Borg’s permit was formally approved by the Planning Authority.

Later that year, the plot was sold to Mr Borg, in a transaction that allegedly resulted in a €45,000 profit for the Abelas.

Complicating the matter is that Dr Abela’s legal firm was serving as legal advisors to every party – the Planning Authority, Malta Gas Distributors, and Mr Borg.

The other known property deal involving both Mr Bonnici and Dr Abela involved an Iklin terraced house that was demolised and replaced by a block of apartments, later sold for €1 million.

Bonnici Bros have secured millions of euros in Government contracts over the last years.

An activist group claimed that the firm received over €7.7 million in contracts and direct orders between 2020 and 2021. A separate report calculated the the firm received €2.7 million in direct orders over 2019 and 2020.

Dr Abela became Prime Minister in January 2020.

In his statement, Dr Cassola said that “given the circumstances, insider knowledge is clearly a possibility. We demand an investigation.

“The people of Malta can no longer be kept in the dark. Pun intended.”