In a major legal development, the Amasaman High Court has significantly reduced the 15-year prison sentence of controversial evangelist Nana Agradaa to 12 months (one year), ruling that the original punishment was excessive and disproportionate.
The High Court upheld Agradaa’s conviction but exercised its powers to vary the sentence imposed earlier by the trial court, cutting it down from the original 15 years with hard labour to just one year behind bars. The new sentence will be calculated from the date of her conviction, July 3, 2025, meaning she is now expected to serve a total of 12 months in prison.
Agradaa, whose real name is Patricia Asiedua Asiamah and who previously reinvented herself as an evangelist after a traditionalist background, was convicted of charlatanic advertisement and defrauding by false pretence following a televised broadcast in 2022. During that broadcast, she claimed to possess spiritual powers capable of doubling money, a promise that prompted many people to hand over significant sums of money that were never returned.
The case attracted widespread public and legal attention in Ghana since her conviction, with critics describing the initial 15-year term as too punitive given the circumstances of the offence. The High Court’s decision to reduce the sentence reflects this scrutiny and judicial discretion.
The reduced sentence has also sparked reactions from members of the public and those close to Agradaa, though legal experts emphasize that the conviction itself remains in force under the revised punishment.