Court hands Camilla Alhassan one-year sentence for spreading unverified allegations, cites rising misinformation as reason for custodial punishment

An Accra Circuit Court has sentenced Ghanaian TikToker Camilla Alhassan to one year in prison after she pleaded guilty to publishing false news and engaging in offensive conduct.

Alhassan was prosecuted over viral videos in which she alleged that President John Dramani Mahama buried 32 cows as part of rituals to secure victory in the 2024 general election—claims she admitted were untrue and made without evidence.

The videos, widely circulated on social media, triggered her arrest by the Ghana Police Service and subsequent trial. During earlier proceedings, the court had ordered a pregnancy test before continuing with the case.

In court, Alhassan confessed to creating and sharing the videos containing the false allegations against the president.

Her lawyer, Kwadwo Gyamfi Bonsu, said the court struck out the charge of electronic abuse, ruling that it lacked jurisdiction over that offence. However, the court found her guilty of offensive conduct and imposed a one-year custodial sentence.

Bonsu noted that the defence had pleaded for leniency, but the court declined, stressing that the growing spread of misinformation required firm penalties to deter others.

The ruling underscores Ghanaian authorities’ increasing crackdown on the dissemination of false information, particularly content capable of inciting public distrust or undermining institutions.