Sentence cut for Agradaa dangerous precedent – Samson Anyenini

Newsfile host, Samson Lardy Anyenini, has criticised the reduction of evangelist Nana Agradaa’s prison sentence from 15 years to one year, calling it legally flawed and socially dangerous.

Speaking on Newsfile on Saturday, February 7, 2026, the private legal practitioner argued that the offence for which Agradaa was convicted could not reasonably attract such a drastic reduction in punishment.

He maintained that her actions amounted to a second-degree felony and not a minor infraction deserving leniency.

According to Anyenini, the scale and organisation of Agradaa’s conduct placed it firmly within the category of serious crime.

“Agradaa is not a mosquito,” he said, stressing that the harm caused was extensive and deliberate rather than trivial.

He described the case as a clear instance of organised, faith-based fraud, explaining that it was carefully designed to exploit vulnerable people seeking spiritual and financial intervention.

In his view, the conduct went beyond deception and entered the realm of predatory criminal behaviour.

“These acts prey on belief systems and religious trust,” Anyenini said, noting that victims were left emotionally, spiritually and financially devastated. He added that the impact of such crimes extended far beyond individual victims.

“Beyond individual victims, the offence inflicts serious social harm, eroding public trust and normalising exploitation under the guise of religion,” he argued.

Anyenini warned that the sentence reduction sends the wrong signal to society and weakens the deterrent power of the law.

He cautioned that the ruling risks transforming the justice system into a protective shield for wrongdoing rather than a barrier against it.

“This ruling will empower these charlatans to persist in their fraudulent activities,” he said, adding that self-styled spiritual leaders could feel emboldened to continue exploiting people if legal consequences are perceived as minimal.

The Newsfile host described the decision as a deeply flawed judgment with wide-reaching implications and urged the Attorney-General to act swiftly.

He said failure to challenge the ruling would undermine public confidence in the justice system and leave vulnerable citizens exposed.

Calling the sentence reduction a “sledgehammer ruling,” Anyenini insisted the matter must be revisited to protect the integrity of the law and ensure that organised fraud, particularly when cloaked in religion, attracts punishment proportionate to its gravity.