A 20-year-old TikToker and washing bay attendant, Alex Cobbinah, popularly known as “Mobitel”, has found himself on the wrong side of the law after falsely presenting himself as a member of the Ghana Armed Forces.
Cobbinah was sentenced by the Circuit Court in Accra, presided over by Mr. Samuel Bright Acquah, to pay a fine of GH¢1,500 or serve three years in prison in default.
He was charged with Falsely Pretending to be a Public Officer and Possession of Military Uniform and Accoutrement Without Lawful Permission.
Additionally, the court handed him a 10-year sentence for the first charge and a five-year sentence for the second, with both sentences to run concurrently.
Cobbinah, a washing bay attendant at B-IDEA Washing Bay in Apam, Central Region, was arrested following a video he posted on TikTok on December 11, 2024.
In the video, he wore a pair of Military camouflage trousers and a Navy inner vest, claiming to be a soldier.
He appealed to President-elect John Dramani Mahama not to dismiss personnel recruited into the Ghana Armed Forces through protocol arrangements.
The complainants in the case, officers from the Ghana Navy Headquarters, initiated investigations after the Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) noticed the video on Cobbinah’s TikTok handle, “Alex Cobbina @mobitel Gh.”
Surveillance led to Cobbinah’s arrest at Madina, Ritz Junction, in Accra.
During interrogations, Cobbinah admitted to posting the video but denied being a soldier. He claimed that the military attire was given to him by an unidentified soldier who visited his washing bay to clean his car. Cobbinah said he had kept the uniforms instead of disposing of them as instructed.
Police investigations at his residence uncovered a pair of Military camouflage trousers, a Navy inner vest, a camouflage nose mask and a pair of camouflage boots.
The items were retrieved in the presence of his employer, Mr. Ernest Baidoo and kept as evidence.
Cobbinah explained that his motivation for the video stemmed from concerns about President Mahama’s alleged plan to dismiss protocol recruits, which he believed would affect a senior from his school.
Cobbinah pleaded guilty to the charges and was fined GH¢1,500. Failure to pay the fine would result in a three-year prison sentence.
The court also imposed a concurrent sentence of 10 years for falsely pretending to be a Public Officer and five years for Possession of Military Uniform and Accoutrement Without Lawful Permission.
