Accra: The Wa High Court has sentenced Elisha Mahama, aged 32 years, the first accused person in the murder of Eric Johnson, the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Royal Coxy Hotel, popularly known as Jirapa Dubai, to life imprisonment.

According to Ghana News Agency, the Court, presided over by His Lordship Justice Yussif Assibey, delivered the judgment following a unanimous (7-0) guilty verdict by the jury against the suspect after about 20 months of the case’s trial. Two other suspects, Belinda Milla, aged about 23 years, and Kweku Kakumbata, 56 years, have been acquitted by the jury and discharged by the Court. However, Elisha Mahama, after the court rule, maintained that he was innocent about the death of Eric Johnson, his former Boss.

Mr. Clement Eledi, Counsel for Elisha Mahama, disagreed with the court verdict and said he would appeal the judgment. Meanwhile, Mr. Abdul-Shakuur Saeed, the Principal State Attorney in the Upper West Region and lead prosecutor, expressed content about the judgment. ‘This was a case that everybody in this country was interested in. We cannot get Eric Johnson back, at least justice is served,’ he stated.

Commenting on the possibility of appeal by the defense counsel, Mr. Saeed said they would pursue the case at any level of the justice delivery system, insisting that all evidence show that Elisha Mahama murdered Eric Johnson. ‘His bloodstained footprints are in the mansion. His fingerprints are in the mansion. What are they doing there?’ he said.

Eric Johnson, aged about 60 years, was found lying in a pool of blood in one of the rooms at the hotel on 11th February 2024. He was stabbed to death by the assailants.