Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), James Klutse Avedzi, has issued a warning to Commissioner General of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), Rev. Ammishadai Owusu-Amoah, indicating that he will be personally held accountable for working without the renewal of his contract.

Rev. Ammishadai attracted public attention by declining to respond to a question posed by Samuel Nartey George, a member of the Public Accounts Committee and MP for Ningo-Prampram, regarding his age.

Accompanied by Deputy Finance Minister Abena Osei Asare, the GRA chief struggled to provide a straightforward answer.

Despite efforts by some committee members to dismiss the question, Rev. Ammishadai eventually admitted that his two-year contract, which was awarded to him after reaching the mandatory retirement age of 60, had expired without renewal.

In an interview with EIB Network's Parliamentary Correspondent Ibrahim Alhassan, Committee Chairman James Klutse Avedzi cautioned that the GRA chief would face consequences if he continued to hold office without a contract.

The Ketu North MP defended his decision to entertain the public interest question raised by the Ningo-Prampram MP.

“No, we don’t have it. He hasn’t given us the contract. He told us at the committee that when the issue came up and other members were trying to stop the member who asked the question or arguing the question should not be allowed, I said the question should be answered because the person is a public officer. Once you’re a public officer, there is nothing personal, especially about your age,” he said.

According to Mr. Avedzi, individuals above retirement age can be engaged but not beyond 5 years and thus the decision to engage the GRA boss is not illegal.

“The law says if you are above a certain age, you go on retirement, but if your expertise is needed, you can be given a contract. So if I’m over 60 years old and I’m given a contract, I’m covered.

"I said, Why can’t you tell us your age, Why can’t you tell us that you have a contract? So, go ahead and answer the question. And he said, 'Oh, I am 62 and so so and so months. I have a contract.'

"The law says that when you’re 60 years old and you’re given a contract, you can be given a two-year contract that can be renewed for another two years but all put together, it must not be more than five years. That’s what the law says,” he added.

Mr. Avedzi wondered why the Commissioner General had not been given another contract after the expiration of the earlier one.

“So if you’re 62 and you have a contract, you’re covered. If you’re 63, you have a contract, and if that contract is renewed, you’re covered. But he told us that the renewal of his contract has not been done, as at the time we were asking him the questions.”

The former deputy minority leader, however, did not fault the GRA boss for his inability to explain why his contract had not been renewed. According to him, the matter rests with the appointing authority.

“He could not tell us the reason why he had not been given a contract. He’s not the one to give himself the contract; it’s the government or the minister. If I were the minister and I still wanted him to be there, I would just renew the contract for him.

"But if I don’t want him to be there, I will not renew it. If he continues to stay there without a contract, then he is breaking the law. He will be personally held liable. After the issue has come up and you have still not been given a renewal contract, are you still there? Then you’re working illegally,” he warned.