Elisha Mahama, the primary suspect in the brutal stabbing death of Eric Johnson, owner of the renowned Royal Cosy Hills Hotel—nicknamed “Jirapa Dubai”—has been convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment by the High Court in Wa on October 15, 2025.
Presiding Judge Yussif Assibey delivered the verdict after a trial that detailed the February 10, 2024, murder at Johnson’s private residence in Jirapa, Upper West Region. Mahama, 35, a former HR manager at the hotel, was found guilty of murder under Section 46 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), a first-degree felony carrying a mandatory life sentence. Two co-accused, Belinda Miller and Kweku Kankumbata, were acquitted and discharged due to insufficient evidence linking them to the crime.
Prosecutors argued Mahama scaled Johnson’s fortified fence using a ladder, entered his room with a master key obtained via phone calls to Miller, and stabbed him multiple times, leaving him naked in a pool of blood. The motive stemmed from Mahama’s dismissal for alleged sexual relationships with over four female employees, sparking workplace rivalries. Phone records and witness testimonies, including from Miller and Laurette Asare, corroborated the timeline, with Mahama fleeing in Johnson’s Nissan after stealing cash and keys, abandoning the car in Jirapa Zongo.
Johnson, 45, had transformed Jirapa into a tourist hotspot with his 4-km safari park featuring zebras and an artificial lake for aqua activities, creating jobs and boosting the local economy. His death shocked the nation, prompting tributes from figures like former President Mahama.
