Bismark Ato Foster, a former contestant on TV3’s Mentor, has been found guilty of manslaughter by a seven-person jury.
Foster was charged with murder and the use of a dangerous weapon, which led to the death of Razak Mohammed on September 26, 2016, at Nungua Coco-Beach.
He was also sentenced to 25 years in prison for using a dangerous weapon, with both sentences to be served concurrently.
During the trial, Foster’s defense attorney requested mitigation and asked the judge to be lenient because his client was a first-time offender.
The defense emphasized Foster’s appropriate behavior throughout the trial and his consistent presence whenever the case was called. Foster’s youth, promising future, and position as an unfortunate spectator were also highlighted.
The defense argued that the deceased’s death was an accident and requested that the judge consider a mild punishment.
The prosecution disagreed with the mitigating evidence and argued that the offense was so severe that the most severe punishment, life in prison, was necessary to deter future perpetrators. They stressed how the gun had fired twice, indicating that there was an intention.
After hearing arguments from both sides, Justice Mary Maame Ekue Yanzu sentenced Foster to life in prison. The verdict and subsequent punishment are being contested by Mr. Foster’s counsel.
According to Graphic Online, the complainant, Ebenezer Ekow Ayaim, had purchased two plots of land in Nungua Coco Beach, which was one of the case’s fundamental facts.
Foster frequently entered Ayaim’s incomplete project without permission, as Ayaim was aware. In response to Ayaim’s complaints to the police, an officer suggested that Foster and the recently deceased Razak supply sand and stones for the construction of a fence wall on the land.
On September 26, 2016, during a land inspection, Foster and Razak stayed outside as Ayaim briefly entered his house.
Ayaim discovered Razak’s dead body and Foster’s coworker Stephen Ansah bleeding from the arm after hearing a gunshot. After calling the police, Ansah was quickly rushed to the hospital, but Razak had already passed away by the time they arrived.
Among the witnesses who testified in favor of the events leading up to the shooting were the complainant, the building contractor, and a police officer. Osei Yeboah, the investigation’s chief detective chief inspector, added new evidence and approved Foster’s arrest.
After the Office of the Attorney General proposed the accusations of murder and the use of an offensive weapon against Foster, he was recently found guilty and punished.
