High Court cuts Nana Agradaa’s 15-year jail term to one year

The High Court in Amasaman has reduced the 15-year prison sentence imposed on self-acclaimed prophetess and church founder, Patricia Asiedua, popularly known as Nana Agradaa, cutting it down to one year.

The decision follows an appeal against the sentence handed down by the Circuit Court on July 3, 2025, which convicted Nana Agradaa on multiple charges, including defrauding by false pretence and charlatanic advertisement.

Nana Agradaa, founder of the Godsway International Church, was originally sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment with hard labour after the Circuit Court, presided over by Her Honour Evelyn Asamoah, found her guilty on three counts of charlatanic advertisement and two counts of defrauding by false pretence. The court also imposed a fine of 25 penalty units, equivalent to GH¢300, with a default sentence of 30 days’ imprisonment.

Although the sentences were ordered to run concurrently, the trial court justified the custodial sentence on grounds that the offences were premeditated, carefully executed, and targeted at unsuspecting members of the public. The court further noted that Nana Agradaa showed no remorse throughout the trial, a factor that significantly influenced the severity of the punishment.

According to court records, the offences stemmed from an all-night church service organised in October 2022 at her Weija-based church, Heaven Way Champions International Ministry. Investigations revealed that Nana Agradaa advertised on Today’s TV and other social media platforms that she would distribute a total sum of GH¢300,000 to participants who needed financial support for business ventures or rent.

During the advertisement, she displayed bundles of cash and urged members of the public to attend the service. As a result, several individuals attended the all-night programme, where they were instructed to form groups and contribute various sums of money with the assurance that each group would receive a specific amount in return.

However, after collecting the money, Nana Agradaa failed to honour the promise and left the complainants stranded. The matter was subsequently reported to the police, leading to investigations which established that the representations made during the advertisement were false and deliberately intended to defraud participants.

The accused later admitted to the allegations during police interrogations, resulting in her arraignment before the court. A pregnancy test conducted prior to sentencing returned negative.

In its ruling, the High Court acknowledged the seriousness of the offences but held that the 15-year sentence imposed by the Circuit Court was excessive under the circumstances. The appellate court consequently reduced the custodial sentence to one year.

The ruling has since sparked public debate.