Why Agradaa has been sentenced to 15 years with hard labour
Former traditional priestess turned evangelist, Patricia Asiedua Asiamah, popularly known as Nana Agradaa, has today (July 3, 2025) been sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment with hard labour by an Accra Circuit Court following her conviction on multiple charges of charlatanic advertisement and defrauding by false pretence.
The conviction relates to a widely circulated 2022 televised broadcast on her Today-TV channel, during which she claimed to possess spiritual powers to “double money” for anyone who brought cash offerings to her church, the Heaven Way Champion International Ministry located at Weija in Accra.
According to court documents, Nana Agradaa used her media platforms to invite the public to attend an all-night service, promising that any money given would be supernaturally multiplied. The prosecution stated that “the accused successfully demanded and received huge sums of money from some members of the public who attended the said all-night service… including complainants in this matter.”
At least six individuals formally lodged complaints, although prosecutors believe that over a thousand people were defrauded during the single church event. The victims travelled from across the country, lured by the televised promises of miraculous financial gains which never materialised.
Further investigations revealed that Nana Agradaa carried out the scheme in concert with unnamed accomplices. The court found that her actions were part of a well-orchestrated fraud exploiting the faith and desperation of her followers.
Before the sentencing could be finalised, the court ordered a mandatory pregnancy test in accordance with Ghanaian legal procedures for female convicts. The test confirmed that Nana Agradaa was not pregnant, allowing the court to proceed with sentencing her to 15 years’ imprisonment with hard labour.
The ruling is being hailed as a significant step in the fight against religious fraud and charlatanic practices in Ghana. It also sends a strong message about the state’s readiness to protect vulnerable citizens from predatory schemes disguised as spiritual intervention.
