Tourism Minister Karmenu Vella is insisting there is no bad blood between him and Malta Tourism Authority chairman Gavin Gulia, shrugging off media reports of a rift.

“There is certainly no problem between us. We’ve worked hand in hand even if there may be times where we do not agree 100 per cent,” he said.

He was reacting to reports that tensions had risen between the two after they disagreed on whether MTA chief executive Josef Formosa Gauci should be re-appointed when his contract expired.

Mr Vella welcomed the MTA board’s decision on Tuesday to “unanimously” back Mr Formosa Gauci and said he stood by that decision.

The CEO’s position was thrust into the national spotlight after l-Orizzont alleged that he had pocketed €23,000 in allowances related to transport. The CEO is appointed by the MTA board and not by the government.

Following Tuesday’s board meeting, the MTA issued a brief statement, saying it found nothing to censure in his conduct and declared that what had been reported was “evidently the result of wrong information”.

“The MTA examined what was said in the media and took note of the true facts as presented by Mr Formosa Gauci. They issued their statement of unanimous support and I stand by it,” Mr Vella said.

The minister had pointed out that Mr Formosa Gauci was using a car that belonged to the MTA’s car pool, adding that he had even used it himself at times.

Asked what was wrong with the media reports, Mr Vella said: “I don’t know where the press got their information but I don’t think they got the correct information.”