The concerned youth of the Jirapa Municipality have petitioned Her Ladyship Gertrude Araba Esaba Torkornoo, the Chief Justice, requesting the reversal of the decision to transfer the murder case of Mr. Eric Johnson, the Chief Executive Officer of Royal Cossy Hills Hotel, to Kumasi in the Ashanti Region.
At present, three individuals are on trial at the Wa High Court for the brutal murder of the CEO of the Royal Cossy Hills Hotel, commonly known as Jirapa Dubai, in Jirapa.
However, the court has put the case on hold after the accused's lawyers claimed that the Chief Justice had ordered the case to be transferred to Kumasi.
In their petition, the youth have expressed deep concern about the request made by the mother of the primary accused to move the case to Kumasi.
They believe this has caused great distress and raised “suspicions of a potential miscarriage of justice within the Jirapa community, the Upper West Region, and Ghana as a whole.”
The youth have found the alleged petition by the mother of the main suspect to be unusual and suspicious, as they believe that the security of the suspect has never been compromised.
“As aggrieved citizens seeking justice and fairness, we believe that justice must be done in this case.
“As your Lordship may be aware, the security of the suspect(s) has never been compromised since their arrest and the commencement of trial. This is a verifiable fact from the Ghana Police Service and the Judiciary Service in the Upper West Region.”
They noted that the petitioner’s interest and the “considerations thereof cannot supersede the interests of Mr Eric Johnson, the Youth of the Jirapa Municipality, the paramount Chief and Chiefs of the Jirapa Traditional Area, the Tendanba, and the entire people of Upper West Region.”
The petition was read by Mr. John Napulung, the Public Relations Officer of the Jirapa Municipal Youth Association. The youth argued in their petition that transferring the case could cause further delays and undermine the integrity of the judicial process.
They appealed to the Chief Justice to review the decision and allow the case to remain at the Wa High Court, taking into consideration the interests of the deceased's family and the entire Upper West Region.
“As you reckon, the jury has already been empaneled, and the Wa High Court is ready to hear the case. The transfer could further delay and undermine the integrity of the judicial process.”
“We urge Your Honour to review this unpopular decision and consider its implications for pursuing justice for the late Mr Eric Johnson, his grieving family, his close associates, the distressed citizens of Jirapa Municipality, and the entire Upper West Region,” the petitioners added.
Some residents of Jirapa who spoke to Info Radio also expressed their disappointment about the purported decision of the Chief Justice. They are demanding justice in the trial.
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