An Accra court has sentenced Camilla Alhassan to one year in prison after finding her guilty of publishing false and offensive videos alleging that President John Dramani Mahama buried 32 cows as part of rituals to secure victory in the 2024 general election.
The sentence was handed down on Thursday, July 16, after the accused admitted to making the unsubstantiated claims, which circulated widely on social media and attracted public attention.
Although prosecutors charged her with both electronic abuse and offensive conduct, the court struck out the electronic abuse charge, ruling that it lacked the legal jurisdiction to determine that particular offence.
Her lawyer, Kwadwo Gyamfi Bonsu, said the conviction was based solely on the count of offensive conduct.
According to counsel, the defence pleaded for a more lenient sentence, but the court maintained that the increasing spread of false and offensive online content required a custodial sentence to serve as a deterrent.
The case arose after videos posted by Camilla Alhassan alleged, without evidence, that President Mahama had performed rituals involving the burial of 32 cows ahead of the 2024 elections.
The claims prompted an investigation by the Ghana Police Service, leading to her arrest and prosecution.
Before delivering judgment, the court had earlier ordered that the accused undergo a pregnancy test as part of the proceedings.
The conviction underscores growing efforts by the courts to clamp down on the dissemination of false information and offensive content on digital platforms.
