Floodlights at the Gozo stadium installed outside the pitch. Photo: Mark Zammit Cordina

The chairman of the recently-appointed Gozo Sports Board says he is still in the dark on where the funds will be coming from.

Gozo Minster Anton Refalo has said the board would be “implementing the government’s sports policy in Gozo”.

Board chairman George Fenech said he was not being paid for his role and was unable to say where the money came from to pay the €40,000 salary received by CEO Elvin Grech, who is also president of the Gozo Football Association.

“There is still an issue over the board’s funding and what I can tell you is that, until now, the board has not paid a single euro,” he told Times of Malta when asked whether the Gozo Ministry was paying the CEO’s salary.

When it was pointed out that it was rather unusual that the chairman would not know the source of his own board funding, Mr Fenech said: “I assume that who is working full-time with the board is getting paid. However, please believe me that I don’t know where the funds are coming from as there is still a pending issue on this.”

Mr Fenech denied that he was appointed by Dr Refalo.

“I was approached for the post by Mr Grech. The minister knew about my appointment but he didn’t appoint me himself,” he insisted.

The board, which has employed one of its other four members as personal assistant to Mr Grech on a part-time basis, held an urgent meeting recently to discuss a court case against Mr Grech in which he was convicted for consciously making use of a false document and decided that he could retain his post.

In a short statement, the Gozo Sports Board said that after discussing Mr Grech’s case it unanimously decided that he should continue as its CEO, giving him its full backing.

“In the circumstances, the Gozo Sports Board feels that the issue is closed and has no further comments to make,” the statement said.

Mr Grech left a top job at Maltapost to join the board on a full-time basis last March.

After Times of Malta reported that Mr Grech was given a suspended jail term for two years, the Gozo Ministry distanced itself from his appointment.

Dr Refalo said the board was autonomous from the government but could not say whether the board was being funded by the State.

The board is operating from the Gozo sports complex, which is owned by the government.

Times of Malta has reported that Dr Refalo was aware of the criminal case against Mr Grech.

Mr Grech had said that, despite the criminal conviction over using a false document in connection with the installation of floodlights at the Gozo stadium, he still did not feel he should offer his resignation.

The Gozo Football Association too has confirmed its trust in Mr Grech.