Principal State Attorney, Lawyer Saeed Abdul Shakur, has welcomed the life imprisonment handed to the main suspect in the murder of businessman Eric Johnson, describing the verdict as a satisfying end to a long and emotional legal battle.
Speaking on Morning Starr with Naa Dedei Tettey on Thursday, October 16, Mr. Abdul Shakur, who represented the family of the late Johnson, said the ruling reaffirms faith in Ghana’s justice system despite the delays experienced during the trial.
“When you take a case and you believe in it, and you push it to get a conviction, there’s nothing more satisfying than that,” he said.
“That’s the joy we derive from our job — to support the country and ensure that when bad guys exist, we help knock them off. I’m very satisfied. I’ve sat through the case since, so I’m very satisfied.”
The Wa High Court on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, sentenced Elisha Mahama, former Human Resource Manager at the Royal Cosy Hills Hotel, to life imprisonment after a seven-member jury unanimously found him guilty of murdering his former employer, Eric Johnson, owner of the luxury resort popularly known as “Jirapa Dubai.”
Two co-accused persons, Belinda Miller and Kweku Kankumbata, were acquitted and discharged, bringing closure to the year-long trial that captivated the Upper West Region.
Mr. Abdul Shakur commended the court and the jury for their diligence, noting that the conviction was a vindication of the painstaking investigation and prosecution work done by the State.
Eric Johnson was found dead on February 11, 2024, at his private residence in Jirapa with multiple stab wounds.
Investigations revealed that Mahama had earlier been dismissed from his role at the hotel for misconduct involving inappropriate relationships with female staff.
According to the prosecution, Mahama broke into Johnson’s home on the night of February 10, 2024, after scaling a wall using a ladder.
He then contacted a colleague to locate the master key to the victim’s room before fatally stabbing him.
Mahama fled the scene with cash and the key to Johnson’s vehicle, later abandoning the car at Jirapa Zongo.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
