A group calling itself the Jirapa Municipal Youth Association (JMYA) has vehemently registered its disapproval over the transfer of the criminal case of the murder of Eric Johnson from the Wa High Court to Kumasi.

According to the group, they got angry when the lawyers of the prime suspect presented a letter purported to have come from the Chief Justice when the case was called on May 22, 2024, instructing the judge to halt proceedings and transfer the case to an unnamed court and judge in Kumasi.

The group added that the letter, which was addressed to the District Court, came after the case had already been referred to the Wa High Court and a jury appointed to sit on the case, emphasizing that the letter came as a surprise not only to the plaintiffs but also to the State Prosecutor and police prosecutors.

This was contained in a press statement signed by the chairperson and secretary of the group, dated May 30, 2024.

While acknowledging the administrative powers of the Chief Justice in transferring cases, the youth, however, think that when executing such an exercise, it must be done in a just manner, mindful of the interests of all parties involved.

They described the decision of Her Lordship to transfer the case, which they alleged was triggered by a petition from the mother of the prime suspect, as "disgusting."

They, therefore, sought clarifications on a raft of questions posed to Her Lordship.

Prior to this press release, the group had petitioned the Chief Justice to reconsider her decision to transfer the case from the Wa High Court, which they indicated they had received with apprehension.

According to the petition, news of the transfer of the case was greeted with suspicions and a possible miscarriage of justice within the Jirapa community, the Upper West Region," and Ghana.

They, therefore, found the alleged petition of the prime suspect demanding the transfer of the case as "strange and suspicious," emphasizing that "the petitioner's interest and the considerations thereof cannot supersede the interests of the deceased, the youth of the Jirapa Municipality, the Paramount Chief and Chiefs of the Jirapa Traditional Area, the Tendamba, and the entire people of the Upper West Region."

The people of Jirapa Municipal and the Upper West Region woke up on Sunday, February 11, 2024, to the devastating news of the murder of Eric Johnson, owner of the Royal Cosy Hills Hotel in Jirapa.

He was found dead in his home, and his body was covered in deep wounds that sent shockwaves throughout the region and the country.

The assailants reportedly used a ladder to gain entry into his abode by using a master key to commit the heinous act.

Following police investigations, a former employee and two other employees of the hotel were apprehended, paving the way for further investigation and prosecution.

His funeral was held on June 1, which brought together mourners from all walks of life, including Ghana's Speaker of Parliament, family members, chiefs, and traditional leaders.