Patricia Asiedua Asiamah, widely known as Nana Agradaa, a controversial figure who transitioned from a chief priestess to an evangelist, has been sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment with hard labour by an Accra Circuit Court. The conviction, delivered on July 3, 2025, follows her being found guilty on multiple charges of charlatanic advertisement and defrauding by false pretence. She was additionally fined 25 penalty units (GH¢300) for the charlatanic advertisement offence, with the prison sentences for the two counts of defrauding by false pretenses running concurrently.

The charges primarily stem from a widely televised broadcast on her Today-TV channel in 2022. During this broadcast, Nana Agradaa falsely claimed to possess supernatural powers to "double money" for members of the public who would bring cash offerings to her church, Heaven Way Champion International Ministry, located in Weija, Accra. These deceptive claims lured multiple individuals into parting with substantial sums of money, estimated by the prosecution to be over a thousand people, who attended an all-night service in anticipation of receiving miraculously multiplied returns that never materialized. Six individuals formally lodged complaints, detailing how they were defrauded.

Before the final sentencing, the court mandated a pregnancy test, a standard Ghanaian legal procedure for female convicts. The test confirmed Nana Agradaa was not pregnant, thereby clearing the path for the court, presided over by Her Honour Evelyn Asamoah, to impose the custodial sentence. The ruling has been widely hailed as a crucial step against religious fraud and charlatanic practices in Ghana, sending a clear message about protecting vulnerable citizens from predatory schemes disguised as spiritual interventions.

Nana Agradaa’s legal troubles extend beyond this conviction. She has a history of legal infringements, including a 2021 conviction for operating her Thunder TV station without a license and broadcasting charlatanic material, for which she was fined GH¢10,000. This prior conviction contradicts her lawyer’s plea for leniency, which argued she was a first-time offender. Furthermore, she faces several other pending criminal charges in various courts across Accra. These include additional counts of defrauding by false pretences and charlatanic advertising, charges under the Cybersecurity Act (Act 1038) for non-consensual distribution of intimate images after allegedly displaying nude photos of Prophet Emmanuel Appiah Enim on live television and using them to label a product, and an alleged role in the assault of Prophet Akwasi Appiah (also known as Appiah Biblical) in 2020. In January 2023, she was re-arrested at the court premises concerning another case immediately after an appearance for an ongoing trial.

Her sentencing has sparked varied reactions. While the prosecution emphasized the premeditated nature of her crimes and the need for a strong deterrent, her lawyers, led by Richard Asare Baffour, have deemed the 15-year sentence "too excessive." They argue that the sentence was influenced more by her controversial public image rather than the merits of the case or the actual alleged amount involved (which they claimed was GH¢540 in one instance, despite prosecution reports of much larger sums). Her legal team plans to file an appeal on July 7, 2025, asserting that she has cooperated fully with the legal process and that her incarceration would severely impact her five children, including a 24-year-old law student and a three-year-old.

In a public message following her sentencing, Nana Agradaa urged her church members to continue praying for her during her time in prison. Her controversial public displays, such as warmly hugging President John Dramani Mahama and Prophet Owusu-Bempah at a National Day of Prayer and Thanksgiving Service on July 1, 2025, have also drawn criticism. Prophet Kumchacha alleged that these gestures were calculated and manipulative, aimed at creating a spectacle and setting others up for public criticism, further cementing Agradaa’s reputation as a cunning and fast-thinking individual.

As Nana Agradaa begins her 15-year term, her case underscores the ongoing challenges of regulating religious and spiritual practices in Ghana and the need for accountability for those who exploit faith for personal gain.