The High Court in Wa has sentenced Elisha Mahama, the main suspect in the murder of businessman Eric Johnson, owner of the Royal Cosy Hills Hotel, popularly known as “Jirapa Dubai,” to life imprisonment.
The conviction was handed down by Justice Yussif Assibey after a seven-member jury on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, unanimously found Mahama guilty of murder.
Two other accused persons, Belinda Miller and Kweku Kankumbata, were acquitted and discharged.
The verdict brings closure to a year-long trial that has drawn public attention across the Upper West Region.
Speaking to journalists after the judgment, the Principal State Attorney, Lawyer Saeed Abdul Shakur, who represented the Johnson family, said the ruling delivered justice for the late entrepreneur.
“I’m excited to an extent. The wheels of justice, they say, grind slowly. We may never get Eric Johnson back, but at least justice has been served,” he stated.
Eric Johnson, the owner of the popular Royal Cosy Hills Hotel in Jirapa, was found dead in his private residence on February 11, 2024. He had been stabbed multiple times and was discovered in a pool of blood the next morning, according to a police report.
Investigations revealed that Elisha Mahama, a former Human Resource Manager at the hotel, had been dismissed for alleged misconduct involving multiple sexual relationships with female employees, which caused workplace tension.
The prosecution told the court that on the night of February 10, 2024, Mahama scaled the wall of Johnson’s residence using a ladder. Phone records showed that he made several calls to Belinda Miller, another employee, asking where to locate the master key to Mr. Johnson’s room.
Mahama reportedly entered the room, stabbed Johnson several times, and left him naked and in a pool of blood. He then took an unspecified amount of money and the key to Mr. Johnson’s private Nissan vehicle, which he used to flee the scene before abandoning the car at Jirapa Zongo.
The prosecution further revealed that Mahama had left another girlfriend, Laureate Asare, in his room earlier that evening under the pretext of buying her food before committing the crime.
Police initially arrested several suspects, including Dookuuri Fausta, Braimah Kasim, Belinda Miller, and Michael Klugey, all hotel employees, as well as two others, Favour Nuobe and Kweku Kankumbata.
Although the exact motive for the killing remains unclear, Wednesday’s ruling marks the conclusion of one of the region’s most publicized murder cases.
Eric Johnson was widely known for his investments in Jirapa, particularly the Royal Cosy Hills Hotel, a safari-style resort featuring a 4-kilometre park with zebras, an artificial lake, and jet-skiing activities.
His vision was to create jobs and promote tourism in the Upper West Region.
Source: Starrfm.com.gh
