The National Organiser of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Henry Nana Boakye, popularly known as Nana B, has criticised the arrest, prosecution and sentencing of TikToker Camilla Alhassan, describing the process as inconsistent with the principles of criminal justice.

TikToker Camilla Alhassan was sentenced to one year in prison after pleading guilty to charges of offensive conduct and publication of false news concerning President John Dramani Mahama.

Speaking exclusively to Classfmonline.com, Nana B questioned the circumstances under which she entered her guilty plea, arguing that she was unrepresented when she first appeared before the court.

"She was arrested. She was quickly - without a lawyer - put before the court and they took her plea. She pleaded guilty without a lawyer," Nana B said.

According to him, when a lawyer later represented Ms Alhassan and applied for the plea to be retaken, the court declined to hear the application before delivering its judgment.

"Then on Monday, she was then represented by a lawyer who put in a motion before the judge that he wanted the plea to be retaken. This judge never gave a hearing to the motion. He rather said they should give him some few minutes. Then he penned down the judgment which now sentenced this lady to one year imprisonment," he said.

"Why? This is not how our criminal justice should operate."

Nana B argued that criminal convictions should only be secured after the court has removed every reasonable doubt, given the consequences of depriving a person of their liberty.

"You see, if anybody is found to be guilty, our law says it must be proven beyond reasonable doubt. Meaning you should not entertain any doubt whatsoever in what you are seeking to do," he said.

"Because you are going to curtail the liberties of somebody through your actions, through your ruling. So whatever ruling, judgment you are going to make, you must make sure that you have clarity of mind. You must make sure that there is no doubt whatsoever."

He questioned why the court declined to consider the defence lawyer's request before sentencing Alhassan.

"So on a Monday, when the lawyer said that I want her plea to be retaken, it doesn't hurt, there's no worry. Why would a judge seeking to deliver criminal justice refuse to listen to a lawyer who put in a motion for a plea to be retaken? Why?" he quizzed.