A Ghanaian content creator is headed to prison for a year after admitting in court to spreading false information about President John Mahama.
Camilla Alhassan, 43, pleaded guilty to offensive conduct and publishing false news. The case stems from a string of TikTok videos she posted last month and in early April. In them, she claimed without evidence that Mahama had sacrificed 32 cows in a ritual to secure victory in the 2024 election. She also alleged that a government program handing out sanitary pads to flood victims was a cover-up for that act.
Alhassan has more than 70,000 followers on TikTok. Prosecutors said the videos were widely shared and defamatory. She was arrested earlier this month.
The judge rejected a request for a lighter penalty. He said a jail term was needed to send a clear message and deter similar posts. “This is to curb the spread of falsehood, which is becoming prevalent on social media,” the court ruled.
The sentencing has reignited debate in Ghana about free expression online. Ghana is known for strong constitutional protections for speech and a lively media scene. But officials have grown increasingly concerned about misinformation on platforms like TikTok.
This is not the first time. Last September, TikToker David Kwodwo Prah Afful, known online as Kwame Nkrumah II, received a seven-month sentence for making death threats against Mahama and members of parliament in a viral video.
President Mahama has also weighed in. Last year he said the government would “sanitise” social media and track people spreading falsehoods and hate. “If you peddle falsehood, hate speech and make utterances to cause fear and panic, we will find you,” he told reporters.
Communications Minister Samuel Nartey George announced plans a year ago for new legislation to tackle disinformation. The aim, he said, is to create a legal framework for enforcement while still protecting free speech.
Rights groups warn that tougher laws could threaten expression, even as public pressure grows to rein in harmful rumors online.
