Founder of Godsway International Church and self-styled evangelist, Patricia Asiedua, popularly known as Nana Agradaa, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison with hard labour after being found guilty of defrauding by false pretence and engaging in charlatanic advertisement.
The verdict was delivered by the Circuit Court in Accra, following her conviction on charges stemming from a widely televised money-doubling scam aired in 2022.
READ MORE: Nana Agradaa convicted of false advertising and fraud by pretence
The court heard that Nana Agradaa, formerly a traditional priestess turned Christian evangelist, had broadcast a promotional video in which she claimed to possess spiritual powers to double money. In response to the broadcast, dozens of people trooped to her church, Heaven Way Champion Ministries, and handed over large sums of money with the expectation of receiving returns.
Instead, the victims were defrauded, prompting public outrage and a swift police investigation.
In line with sentencing protocols, the court ordered a pregnancy test to be conducted before the final sentencing. Once it was confirmed that she was not pregnant, the sentence of 15 years with hard labour was imposed.
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Nana Agradaa is currently facing several other legal battles. She has three separate cases pending before different circuit courts in Accra, all related to charges of defrauding by false pretence and charlatanic advertising.
She is also standing trial over her alleged involvement in the assault of one Prophet Akwasi Appiah, also known as Appiah Biblical, in 2020.
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In a dramatic development earlier in 2023, Nana Agradaa was re-arrested by the Ghana Police on Monday, 16 January 2023, shortly after appearing in court. Although her case had been adjourned to 20 January, police officers took her into custody at the court premises over a separate matter.
The former fetish priestess, once known for her controversial television appearances, rebranded herself as a Christian evangelist in 2021. However, her continued legal troubles have raised questions about the authenticity of her conversion and ministry.
