Gozo Minister Anton Refalo has confirmed that the Gozo Sports Board is  being funded by the government.

Replying to questions by Times of Malta, Dr Refalo said his ministry was financing the CEO’s €23,000 annual salary and the services of a part-time clerk.

Board chairman George Fenech told this newspaper last week he did not know which entity was funding the board.

Mr Fenech was commenting after this newspaper reported that Gozo Football Association president Elvin Grech was appointed CEO of the newly-established sports board in spite of having been given a suspended jail sentence in connection with a falsified document.

Asked for his reaction during the inauguration of an NSO branch in Gozo, Dr Refalo again distanced himself from the appointment, saying the board was completely autonomous.

He said that the model adopted for the Gozo Sports Board was the same used by previous administrations when setting up the Gozo Business Chamber and the Gozo Tourism Association. A Gozo Youth Regional Council was in the pipeline, Dr Refalo noted.

He said that his ministry financed the salary of the CEO and allocated a small sum that could be used to cover travel expenses or for the services of a part-time clerk.

“The aim behind the sports board was to focus on other disciplines apart from football and to advise the ministry on certain projects such as the planned racetrack at Ta’ Xħajma,” he added.

Dr Refalo insisted that the ministry kept an arms’ length from the board and its involvement was only to finance it and provide the premises where to meet.

Asked whether Mr Grech’s position was tenable in view of the court conviction, Dr Refalo replied that such matters had to be decided by the board members.

“That is a matter on which board members have to decide because the ministry is not represented on the board except for an observer,” he replied.

Both the Gozo Sports Board and the Gozo Football Association have expressed their full confidence in Mr Grech.