The National Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Henry Nana Boakye, popularly known as Nana B, has strongly criticised the one-year jail sentence handed to TikToker Camilla Alhassan, describing it as a dangerous attack on free speech and evidence of what he calls the Mahama government’s growing intolerance of dissent.
Nana B, who is also contesting to become the NPP’s First National Vice Chairman, made the remarks in a statement following widespread public reaction to Camilla Alhassan’s conviction for allegedly publishing false news about President John Dramani Mahama.
According to him, while the public outrage over the sentence is understandable, the real concern lies in the events that preceded the conviction, which he believes raise serious questions about due process and the protection of the accused person’s rights.
He alleged that Camilla was arrested by police on Friday, July 9, 2026, and immediately arraigned before a court without access to legal representation or her family.
According to Nana B, under those circumstances, she pleaded guilty to the charge without the benefit of legal advice, and the plea was subsequently recorded by the court.
He further claimed that when Camilla’s lawyers and family eventually located her at the Spintex Police Station the following day after searching several police stations, they found that she had been physically assaulted.
Nana B alleged that the assault was confirmed in the presence of her lawyers, family members and a senior police officer who was said to have transported her to the station.
The NPP National Organiser also disclosed that on Monday, July 13, Camilla’s legal team filed a motion seeking to have her guilty plea retaken, arguing that it had been entered without proper legal representation.
According to him, the application was scheduled by the court registrar to be heard on July 23, 2026.
However, he expressed surprise that when Camilla appeared before the Circuit Court, the presiding judge reportedly gave her lawyers only a few minutes before proceeding to deliver a one-year custodial sentence.
Nana B further alleged that the court failed to acknowledge the pending application seeking to have the plea retaken, arguing that the application could have addressed what he described as a miscarriage of justice resulting from a guilty plea entered under duress.
He maintained that freedom of speech protects even harsh and offensive expression, stressing that existing defamation laws already provide legal remedies for reputational harm.
According to him, the Mahama administration has increasingly relied on law enforcement agencies to intimidate critics, warning that such actions risk reviving what he described as a “culture of silence.”
Nana B disclosed that Camilla Alhassan’s lawyers are preparing to appeal the conviction in a bid to overturn the sentence and secure her release.
The government and the courts have not publicly responded to the allegations contained in Nana B’s statement.The case is expected to proceed to the appellate courts if the appeal is formally filed.
By 1960news.com
