Patricia Asiedua Asiamah, known as Nana Agradaa, a former traditional priestess who later became an evangelist, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison with hard labour. The Accra Circuit Court gave the sentence on July 3, 2025, after finding her guilty of lying to the public and tricking people out of their money.
In 2022, Agradaa appeared on her TV station, Today-TV, and told viewers that she had special spiritual powers to “double money.” She invited people to attend an all-night church service at her church, Heaven Way Champion International Ministry in Weija, Accra. She promised that anyone who brought money would receive even more money in return through spiritual means.
Many people, believing her claims, traveled from different parts of the country and gave her large sums of money. However, they never received anything back. At least six people officially complained, but the court believes that more than a thousand people may have been tricked during that one event.
Investigators also found that Agradaa didn’t act alone—she worked with others to carry out the scam. The court ruled that she took advantage of people’s faith and desperation to get rich quickly.
Before being sentenced, the court followed the usual legal process in Ghana for female convicts and made sure she wasn’t pregnant. The test showed she wasn’t, so the sentencing went ahead.
The case is being seen as an important step in fighting fake spiritual claims and protecting people from being misled in the name of religion.