The Wa High Court has acquitted Belinda Miller and Kweku Kankumbata, two of the three individuals accused of murdering Eric Johnson, the owner of the Royal Cozy Hills Hotel, popularly known as Jirapa Dubai, in the Upper West Region.
The judgment, delivered on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, followed a unanimous 7–0 verdict by the jury, which found the two not guilty of any involvement in the gruesome killing.
However, the court, presided over by Justice Ackah-Yensu, convicted the first accused, Eliasah Mahama Akpanyikye, of murder. He has been sentenced to life imprisonment and will serve his term at Ankaful Prison, following the same 7–0 unanimous decision by the jurors.
The verdict brings closure to a months-long high-profile trial that drew national attention due to the mysterious nature of Johnson’s death and his prominence as a businessman in the region.
The incident occurred on February 11, 2024, when Johnson was stabbed to death by unknown assailants at his residence in Jirapa. His lifeless body was discovered the next morning in a pool of blood, sparking widespread shock and grief across the region.
Police investigations initially led to the arrest of seven suspects, including some hotel employees. After preliminary inquiries, four were released, leaving Akpanyikye, Miller, and Kankumbata to face trial before the Wa High Court.
Throughout the proceedings, state prosecutors argued that the trio had conspired to kill Johnson, but defense lawyers maintained that the case against Miller and Kankumbata was purely circumstantial, lacking any concrete evidence linking them to the crime.
After months of hearings, witness testimonies, and cross-examinations, the jury reached its final verdict, freeing Miller and Kankumbata and convicting Akpanyikye.
The ruling has brought a mix of relief and reflection in the Upper West Region, closing a dark chapter in what has been one of Ghana’s most closely followed murder cases in recent years.
