Accra court sentences TikToker to one year over videos about President Mahama
- 3News reported that an Accra Circuit Court sentenced Camilla Alhassan to one year in prison.
- The report said she pleaded guilty to offensive conduct and publication of false news.
- The case concerned videos alleging, without evidence, that President Mahama buried 32 cows to influence the 2024 election.
An Accra Circuit Court has sentenced TikToker Camilla Alhassan to one year in prison after she pleaded guilty to charges of offensive conduct and publication of false news, 3News has reported.
The case concerned videos in which Alhassan alleged that President John Dramani Mahama had buried 32 cows in rituals intended to help him win the 2024 general election. According to the report, she admitted that the claims were published without evidence.
The videos circulated widely before her arrest and prosecution by the Ghana Police Service, 3News said.
Court ruling
Alhassan’s lawyer, Kwadwo Gyamfi Bonsu, said the court struck out a charge of electronic abuse, finding that it did not have the legal authority to determine that count.
However, the court convicted her on the offensive-conduct count and imposed a custodial sentence of one year, the lawyer said.
3News reported that the defence asked the court to impose a lighter sentence. The court was said to have pointed to the increasing prevalence of such offences and the need for a punishment that could discourage similar conduct.
At an earlier hearing, the court had ordered a pregnancy test before sentencing, according to the report.
The conviction relates to the specific videos and charges described in court. The reported ruling underscores the legal consequences that can arise from publishing unsubstantiated allegations online.
