Evangelist Convicted for Fraud and Charlatanic Advertisement
Patricia Asiedua Asiamah, known as Nana Agradaa, was sentenced to 15 years in prison with hard labour by an Accra Circuit Court on July 3, 2025, for charlatanic advertisement and defrauding by false pretences. The former priestess-turned-evangelist was also fined GH¢300 for the advertisement charge, as reported by Graphic Online.
Agradaa was arrested on October 9, 2022, after a viral video showed church members accusing her of a money-doubling scam at her Heaven Way International Church in Weija. She promised supernatural financial returns during an all-night service on October 7, 2022, but failed to deliver, leading to public outcry and her conviction on multiple counts.
The court, led by Justice Evelyn Asamoah, found Agradaa guilty of deceiving over 1,000 attendees with false spiritual claims, including her “41-verse money doubling” scheme promoted on Thunder TV and social media. She was ordered to take a pregnancy test before sentencing, which confirmed she was not pregnant, allowing the ruling to proceed.
Agradaa’s lawyer, Richard Asare Baffour, called the sentence excessive, arguing it was driven by her public persona rather than evidence, as the fraud involved just GH¢540. The defense plans to appeal on July 7, 2025, while some, like lawyer Benjamin Tachie Antiedu, defend the sentence as fitting Ghana’s guidelines.
The ruling has sparked mixed reactions, with some Ghanaians celebrating it as a step against spiritual fraud, while Agradaa’s supporters, including her husband Angel Asiamah, urged followers to “keep praying.” The case highlights Ghana’s push to curb deceptive religious practices, with ongoing legal battles, like Empress Gifty’s defamation suit, unaffected.