Wa High court sentences Eliasah Mahama Akpanyikye to life imprisonment for murder of Wa millionaire Eric Johnson, owner of Jirapa Dubai

After several months of trial, the Wa High Court in the Upper West Region has acquitted Belinda Miller and Kweku Kankumbata, two of the three individuals accused of murdering Eric Johnson, owner of the Royal Cozy Hills Hotel, popularly known as Jirapa Dubai.

The ruling, delivered on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, followed a unanimous 7–0 decision by the court’s jury, which found no evidence linking Miller and Kankumbata to the killing. However, the court, presided over by Justice Ackah-Yensu, found the first accused, Eliasah Mahama Akpanyikye, guilty of murder. 

He has therefore been sentenced to life imprisonment and will serve his term at Ankaful Prison. The s,ad incident occurred on February 11, 2024, when Eric Johnson was stabbed to death at his home in Jirapa. His body was discovered the following morning.

Initial police investigations led to the arrest of seven suspects, including hotel employees.  After preliminary inquiries, four individuals were released, leaving Akpanyikye, Miller, and Kankumbata to face full trial.

Throughout the proceedings, prosecutors alleged that the accused conspired to k,ill Johnson. The defense, however, argued that the evidence presented was circumstantial and insufficient to implicate Miller and Kankumbata.

After months of testimonies and careful deliberation, the jury rendered its decision; a clear acquittal for Miller and Kankumbata, and a life sentence for Akpanyikye, bringing closure to a case.

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