Counsel for TikToker Camilla Alhassan, Kwadwo Gyamfi Bonsu, has explained the circumstances that led to his client’s one-year custodial sentence, saying the punishment was significantly reduced after the defence pleaded for mitigation.
Speaking after the proceedings, the lawyer confirmed that the Accra Circuit Court sentenced Camilla to one year in prison after convicting her of offensive conduct.
According to him, the court first struck out the charge of electronic abuse, ruling that it lacked the jurisdiction to hear the matter because the offence falls outside the mandate of a District Court.
The lawyer said the conviction was therefore based solely on the charge of offensive conduct.
He explained that under the law, the offence is a misdemeanour, which carries a maximum sentence of three years’ imprisonment. However, after the defence pleaded in mitigation, the court imposed a one-year custodial sentence instead.
He added that in delivering its ruling, the court indicated that offences involving offensive and false publications have become increasingly common and that the sentence was intended to serve as a deterrent to others who may engage in similar conduct.
Camilla Alhassan was sentenced after pleading guilty to charges arising from a series of social media videos containing false and offensive allegations against President John Dramani Mahama.
