Drama as accused in car robbery case collapses in court

Michael Adzomani, a 31-year-old driver accused of robbing a Toyota Vitz taxicab, collapsed on Thursday at the premises of Tema Circuit Court A during the judgment of his case.

Adzomani, who was lying on a wooden bench in handcuffs awaiting his case to be called, suddenly became unconscious in the courtroom.

He was rushed to the Tema Polyclinic, where he had been admitted earlier in the day before his court appearance. Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) George Doe, the prosecutor, informed the Ghana News Agency that Tuesday, June 27, 2024, was set as the judgment day.

Adzomani was brought from the Homicide Unit at the CID Headquarters in Accra, but he complained of sickness and was treated at the Tema Polyclinic before being sent to court.

Agnes Opoku-Barnieh, the presiding judge, adjourned the verdict pending a medical report from the hospital.

According to the case details, the complainant, Daniel Azure, a driver residing in Abokobi, a suburb of Accra, was driving a Toyota Vitz taxicab with registration number GW 7782 on May 18, 2023.

The accused, along with one Eric Gyimah and another individual, hired the complainant's services from Coral Paint Company at Tudu in Accra to Miotso near Central University in the Ningo-Prampram district, agreeing on a transportation fee of GH₵250. They claimed they needed to photograph a building under construction to send to their brother abroad.

The prosecutor stated that while Gyimah sat in the front seat with the driver, Adzomani and the third suspect occupied the back seats.

Upon reaching the location, Gyimah directed the driver onto a rough road and ordered him to stop so Adzomani and the third person could take pictures, leaving Gyimah and the complainant in the car.

After some time, they returned, claiming to have taken the photographs, and instructed the driver to return to the main road. En route, Adzomani, seated in the back, choked the driver's neck with a rope, causing him to suffocate.

The complainant stopped the car, and Gyimah snatched the ignition key, pulled him out of the car, and left him on the road as they drove off.

Adzomani and his accomplices drove the car to Sogakope in the Volta Region. Through investigations, Eric Gyimah was arrested, prosecuted, and sentenced to 40 years for two different offenses.

At the time of Gyimah's sentencing, Adzomani was on the run.

The police later received information that Adzomani was involved in another robbery with a murder case and had been arrested by the Homicide Unit at the CID Headquarters in Accra for a similar incident at Klagon.

ASP Doe liaised with the Police Headquarters in Accra, suspecting that the modus operandi was connected to Gyimah's accomplices.

Their collaboration led to Adzomani's arrest at his hideout in Agona. He was charged and brought before the court.