Her resignation caught people by surprise but Fleur Vella insists her departure as chairman of the Malta Resources Authority was down to increased work commitments.

On Friday, the Resources Ministry issued a two-line statement announcing Ms Vella’s resignation without giving details as to why she left. A spokesman declined to elaborate.

However, when contacted yesterday, Ms Vella said her commitments to the family business – she is marketing manager at Apex Interiors – had “increased substantially” during the last months.

“I felt that I could no longer dedicate the time required to the Malta Resources Authority,” she said.

Sources at the Resources Authority said her resignation came as a surprise.

Ms Vella was appointed MRA chairman in September 2011 and between 2003 and 2005 occupied the post of senior economist in the Finance Ministry before moving on to the family business.

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