Minister for Enterprise Laurence Skelly will be taking on the starring role on Friday as he appears in front of the committee exploring the island’s media development fund.

The public accounts committee (PAC), a standing committee of Tynwald, is conducting an inquiry into the Media Development Fund which lost over £26m of taxpayers’ money.

Chaired by Douglas East MHK Clare Barber, the committee was set up to identify whether further investigation is needed, further to their previous report and whether there are any changes to governance procedures required as a result of the situation.

Mr Skelly will give evidence alongside chief executive for the department, Mark Lewin.

Last month, the committee heard from former chief minister Allan Bell and former ministers John Shimmin, Eddie Teare and David Cretney.

During that appearance, Mr Teare, a former Treasury minister, said that he believed the man who ran the fund, the late Stephen Christian, was ’hounded to his grave’.

And Mr Bell said that while the island made significant losses in films it invested in, it ’made a lot of money’ which included ’over £300m’ in VAT and other tax returns up to changes in VAT regulations in 2007.

The evidence will be taken in public in the Legislative Council Chamber, in the Legislative Buildings in Douglas from 10.30am onwards.

Mr Skelly’s and Mr Lewin’s evidence can also be heard via the ’live and listen again’ audio webcast service on the Tynwald website.

The members of the PAC appointed by Tynwald, for this inquiry, are Clare Barber MHK (chairman), Douglas Central MHK Ann Corlett, and Kate Lord-Brennan MLC.

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