Evangelist Patricia Asiedua, popularly known as “Nana Agradaa”, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison with hard labour by an Accra Circuit Court for defrauding members of her church and engaging in charlatanic advertisement.
The founder of the Heaven Way Church was found guilty of deceiving congregants into handing over large sums of money with the false promise of spiritual multiplication. The sentence, handed down on Thursday, July 3, 2025, was delivered by Her Honour Evelyn Asamoah, who described Agradaa’s actions as “calculated, deliberate, and without remorse.”
Agradaa’s conviction stems from a publicized incident in October 2022, when several members of her church accused her of fraud during a live service. In a televised broadcast aired on her Today-TV channel, the self-styled evangelist claimed to possess powers to double money — a scheme prosecutors said was orchestrated to exploit desperate followers for personal enrichment.
The court ordered a mandatory pregnancy test before sentencing, which confirmed she was not pregnant, clearing the way for an immediate custodial ruling.
Lead prosecutors pushed for a strong sentence, arguing that her prior conviction in 2021 — for which she was fined GHS10,000 — had failed to serve as a deterrent.
”We want a sentence that will send shivers down the spine of like-minded persons,” one prosecutor told the court.
Agradaa’s legal team had pleaded for leniency, citing her responsibilities as a mother of a three-year-old and a 24-year-old law student, as well as her role as a religious leader. But the court held that the severity of the offense and its impact on the public outweighed those considerations.
The judgment has been met with strong public approval, with many describing it as a bold step against fraudulent religious schemes that have long preyed on vulnerable individuals.
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Story by Michelle Lartey | univers.ug.edu.gh
Edited by Abdul Wahab Razak
