An Accra Circuit Court in Ghana has sentenced TikToker Camilla Alhassan to one year in prison for falsely claiming that President John Mahama “buried 32 cows” as part of rituals to secure victory in the 2024 presidential election.
Mahama, who first became Ghana’s president in 2012, returned to office after winning the 2024 election by a landslide.
According to Channel One TV, the court delivered the sentence on Thursday after Alhassan pleaded guilty to charges of offensive conduct and publication of false news.
Following the judgment, Kwadwo Gyamfi Bonsu, counsel to the TikToker, said the court struck out the charge of electronic abuse, ruling that it lacked the jurisdiction to hear that count.
Bonsu explained that the defence had appealed for leniency, but the judge held that the growing number of similar offences required a custodial sentence to serve as a deterrent.
Alhassan was arrested by the Ghana Police Service after videos containing the defamatory allegations went viral on social media.