Jirapa Dubai CEO murdered: Wa High Court adjourns case to July 12

A Wa High Court has adjourned the murder case of the former Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Cosy Hills Hotel, also known as ‘Jirapa Dubai’ Eric Johnson, to Friday, July 12, 2024.

According to the Supreme Court presiding as a High Court judge, Justice Abdul Yusif Assibey, the move was to allow Chief Justice Gertrude Torkornoo to have a broader consultation on the intended transfer of the case from Wa to Kumasi.

Justice Assibey said the Court had received information from the Chief Justice that her office had received many petitions regarding the transfer of the case before the High Court—the Republic versus Elisha Mahama and two others—and needed to conduct broader consultations to reach a decision.

He added that his office had also written a situational report on the case to the CJ’s office, awaiting a response.

The Chief Justice had served notice to the Wa High Court for the transfer of the case to a High Court in Kumasi.

This action by the Court of Justice had raised concerns among some people in the Upper West region, especially Jirapa, for fear of a miscarriage of justice if the case were transferred.

Moreover, Mr Luanga Bagonluri, the lawyer for the second and third defendants, told the court that he had requested the CJ not to transfer the case to Kumasi, emphasising that justice would be better served if the case were heard in Wa.

But the lawyer for the first suspect, Mr Clement Eledi, disagreed, arguing that justice could be well served if the case were transferred to Kumasi.

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Also, Mr Saeed Abdul Shakuur, Chief Public Prosecutor of the Upper West Region, expressed concern over the court’s decision to transfer the case as all the witnesses in the case were in the Upper West Region.

He also expressed concern about the risks and costs of transporting the witnesses to and from Kumasi during court hearings if the case were ultimately transferred.

Mr Shakuur further noted that under the laws of Ghana, only a prosecutor or public prosecutor in a case can request the transfer of a case.

The Member of Parliament for the Jirapa Constituency, Cletus Dapilah, speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Wa on Wednesday after the court proceedings, said the people of Jirapa were not “happy with the way the matter is being handled.”

“We feel very sad that a case like this will have to be played or played with by the chief justice,” he stated.

‘Jirapa Dubai’ CEO murdered

According to the police statement, Mr Eric Johnson was found dead in a pool of blood in one of the hotel rooms on Sunday, February 11.

The Police have since commenced an investigation into the incident. One person was earlier detained to assist with the investigation.

According to available information, Mr. Eric Johnson, the CEO of ‘Jirapa Dubai’, fired the former HR officer on Thursday, February 8, 2024, three days before his murder.

According to sources, Mr. Mahama allegedly left the Jirapa township shortly after the gruesome murder of Mr Eric Johnson. He was eventually tracked down to Takoradi, where he was detained.

After a few days of interrogation in Wa, the former HR manager was sent back to Takoradi for further interrogation before finally being brought back to Wa.