Nana Agradaa jailed 15 years with hard labour for money-doubling scam

By Barbara Kumah

Repentant priestess and founder of Heaven Way Church, Patricia Asiedua, popularly known as Nana Agradaa, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison with hard labour by an Accra Circuit Court. She was convicted on charges of charlatanic advertisement and defrauding by false pretence.

Agradaa was arrested in October 2022 after several individuals accused her of running a money-doubling scam. According to the complaints, she demanded and received various sums of money from her victims with the promise of multiplying those amounts, but she failed to deliver.

According to the facts of the case, on October 5, 2022, Agradaa advertised on television and social media that she was organizing an all-night service on October 7 at her church, where she claimed she would distribute GH¢300,000 to attendees in need of financial support for rent or business.

During the advert, she displayed bundles of cash and encouraged the public to attend the service for their share. The promise drew a large crowd to the church. Agradaa then instructed attendees to form groups of 20, with each person paying amounts of up to GH¢1,000. She claimed that if the first group each paid GH¢1,000, they would receive GH¢50,000 to share. She continued with similar offers, asking another group to pay GH¢900 each in exchange for GH¢40,000.

Based on these promises, the complainants paid her various sums of money. However, after collecting the cash, Agradaa reportedly shut the church doors and absconded.

Before the sentence was passed, her lawyer, Richard Asare Baffour, pleaded for leniency, asking the court to consider a non-custodial sentence. He noted that Agradaa is a mother of five, with the eldest aged 24 and the youngest just three years old. He argued that imprisonment would shatter the dreams of her children, particularly the eldest, who aspires to become a lawyer.

He added that Agradaa had cooperated throughout the trial since 2022 and had shown remorse. The lawyer also stated that she had since distanced herself from the allegations and continued to play a positive role in the socio-religious space, with many people depending on her leadership.

However, the prosecution, led by ASP Emmanuel Haligah, opposed the plea for leniency. He urged the court to hand down a sentence that would deter Agradaa and others engaged in similar fraudulent religious schemes.

ASP Haligah argued that Agradaa was not a first-time offender, noting that she had been previously convicted and fined GH¢10,000 in 2021. He said the earlier punishment was clearly not enough to stop her from repeating the offence just a year later.

The court, after hearing both sides, handed down a 15-year custodial sentence with hard labour.

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