Ghana: TikToker jailed for lying about President Mahama

Spreading false information on social media can be very costly. In Ghana, a well-known content creator, Camilla Alhassan, has just been sentenced to one year in prison. The Accra Circuit Court handed down the sentence after she pleaded guilty to offensive conduct and publishing false news.

The affair began after the widespread dissemination of videos on TikTok. In these viral clips, Camilla Alhassan categorically claimed, without a shred of evidence, that the current president, John Dramani Mahama, had buried 32 cows. According to her, this sacrifice was part of mystical rituals intended to guarantee his victory in the 2024 general election.

Given the seriousness of the events and the reach of the rumor, the Ghanaian police service quickly proceeded to arrest him.

During the hearing on Thursday, July 16, the defendant finally admitted to having completely fabricated these events.

During the trial, defense attorney Kwadwo Gyamfi Bonsu successfully had the charge of electronic abuse dismissed, as the court deemed itself incompetent to rule on that specific offense. However, the judge remained firm on the charge of gross misconduct.

"The increasing prevalence of this type of offence requires a sentence that will deter similar behaviour."

Despite the defense's plea for leniency in order to obtain a lighter sentence, the court insisted on the need to make an example of this case. The proliferation of fake news on digital platforms in Ghana is now a priority for judicial authorities.

A striking detail of the proceedings: at a previous hearing, the court had even demanded that a pregnancy test be performed on the TikToker before determining her fate. Camilla Alhassan will now have to spend the next twelve months behind bars, a strong message sent to all content creators who are addicted to generating buzz at any cost.