Patricia Asiedua, popularly known as Nana Agradaa, has filed an appeal challenging her 15-year jail sentence handed down for defrauding dozens of worshippers through a fake money-doubling scheme at her church.

Agradaa, a former fetish priestess turned evangelist, was convicted by an Accra Circuit Court in 2024 after a high-profile trial that gripped the nation.

She had been found guilty of using her television station and social media to promote a false promise of supernatural financial blessings to unsuspecting churchgoers during a 2022 all-night service.

 

But now, Agradaa is arguing that the judgment was flawed, biased, and unsupported by credible evidence.

 

Her legal team, led by Mr. Richard Asare Baffour, is urging the appellate court to overturn both the conviction and the sentence, claiming the entire trial process was unfair.

 

Accusations of judicial bias and unfair trial

 

In her petition to the appellate court, Agradaa’s lawyers assert that the trial judge wrongfully shifted the burden of proof onto the accused.

 

They argue that instead of compelling the prosecution to prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt, the court effectively demanded that Agradaa prove her innocence, a move her defence says undermines basic principles of justice.

 

The appeal further alleges personal bias on the part of the trial judge, citing frequent confrontations with defence counsel during open court proceedings.

 

These actions, the lawyers say, amounted to harassment and intimidation, denying Agradaa her constitutional right to fair representation.

 

Her legal team also slammed the 15-year custodial sentence as excessively harsh, especially considering Agradaa’s role as a mother of five and her cooperation throughout the trial process.

 

The GH₵300,000 scam that shocked Ghana

 

Agradaa’s conviction stems from a well-publicised church event in October 2022, where she announced a miraculous GH₵300,000 cash giveaway during an all-night service at her Heaven Way Champions International Ministry in Weija, Accra.

 

Through her personal television network, Today’s TV, and social media platforms, she urged the public to attend the service and sow seed offerings of GH₵1,000 or more in order to receive a share of the promised cash.

 

Worshippers travelled from across the country, many bringing their last savings, hoping for financial relief. Some came seeking money for rent, medical bills, or to start small businesses.

 

But what awaited them was deception on a massive scale.

 

A carefully orchestrated fraud

 

At the church, Agradaa instructed congregants to form groups of 20, with each member required to contribute GH₵1,000 or more. In return, the group was promised GH₵40,000 or GH₵50,000 to share. Some groups were even told to raise GH₵25,000.

 

But no one received any cash. There were no refunds, no explanations, and eventually, no escape from the truth.

 

Victims filed complaints with the police, and after investigations, it was confirmed that Agradaa had deliberately staged the entire scheme to defraud attendees.

 

In court, she admitted that the complainants’ testimonies were accurate

A verdict on greed, not grace

 

In October 2024, the Circuit Court in Accra, presided over by Her Honour Evelyn Asamoah, convicted Agradaa on two counts of defrauding by false pretences and one count of charlatanic advertisement.

 

She was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment on each fraud charge, to run concurrently, and fined GH₵300 for the advertisement offence, with an additional 30-day jail term in default of payment.

 

The court noted that Agradaa had shown no remorse, and referenced the wider societal threat posed by religious figures who exploit faith for financial gain.

 

Defence pleads for mercy, but prosecution pushes back

 

Agradaa’s lawyers had pleaded for a non-custodial sentence, citing her parental responsibilities and the emotional toll of the three-year trial.

 

However, ASP Emmanuel Haligah, the prosecutor, pushed back firmly, pointing out that Agradaa had previous convictions for similar offences.

 

In 2021, she had been fined GH₵10,000 for earlier fraudulent acts, a pattern the court was urged not to ignore.

 

“This is not a one-time mistake,” ASP Haligah argued. “This is a consistent abuse of public trust.”

 

A legacy of manipulation

 

Agradaa’s transformation from controversial fetish priestess to self-styled evangelist was once seen as a story of redemption. But her critics now view the shift as a calculated ploy to exploit Ghana’s highly spiritual society.

 

She successfully built a large following, broadcasting sermons, rituals, and promotional stunts through her media platforms.

 

But the 2022 scandal peeled back the curtain on what many now describe as predatory spirituality.

 

The image of worshippers weeping at her gates, having lost their life savings in pursuit of a divine promise, has become symbolic of a deeper problem: the unchecked power of religious figures and the lack of consumer protections in faith-based schemes.

 

Seeking justice, not just forgiveness

 

For the hundreds of victims who poured their hopes and resources into Agradaa’s hands, the conviction offered a sense of justice — though not restitution.

 

Many are still struggling to recover their losses. Some have spoken about being evicted, losing businesses, or falling deeper into poverty after the fraudulent scheme.

 

Appeal could reopen wounds

 

With the appeal now filed, survivors of the fraud are watching anxiously.

 

A successful appeal could see Agradaa released or given a lighter sentence — a development that may spark public outcry and reignite the trauma of those she defrauded.

 

But regardless of the outcome, the Nana Agradaa saga has already left a lasting impact on Ghana’s religious, legal, and social landscape.

It is a cautionary tale about how faith, when weaponised for profit, can lead to despair instead of deliverance, and why justice, even when delayed, is still worth pursuing.

Source :newscenta