Why Court Reduced Agradaa's Sentence from 15 Years to 1 Year: Lawyer Explains
Televangelist Patricia Asiedua, popularly known as Agradaa, would be a free woman in a few months.
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This follows the Amasaman High Court ruling on the appeal filed by her lawyers against her 15-year jail sentence.
Source: Instagram
Agradaa was sentenced to a 15-year jail term at an Accra Circuit Court for charlatanic advertisement and defrauding by false pretences on July 3, 2025.
She was accused of defrauding her congregants of varying sums of money after advertising her money-doubling abilities.
The prosecution's case centred on Agradaa's activities on Today's TV and various social media platforms, where she allegedly advertised a money-doubling scheme.
The controversial figure had publicly invited members of the public to attend an all-night service at her church, promising to double their money through her purported spiritual powers.
Source: Instagram
More than 1,000 people attended the all-night service, with attendees handing over substantial sums of money to Agradaa.
However, she failed to fulfil her promise of doubling the money, leaving numerous victims financially compromised.
The televangelist appealed her 15-year sentence, and she appeared at the Amasaman Circuit Court for hearings with her face covered.
In her appeal documents, Agradaa claimed the trial process was unfair, the evidence did not support the judge's verdict, and the jail term was excessive.
Agradaa's sentence reduced after appeal
Following her appearance at the court on Thursday, February 5, 2026, Agradaa's 15-year sentence was reduced to one year.
She was also fined 200 penalty units (GH₵2,400) and ordered to refund GH₵1,000 to her two complainants, in addition to fines for count 1.
According to reports, the court described Agradaa's original 15-year hard labour sentence as harsh and excessive, affirming her conviction but exercising its discretion to vary the punishment.
The revised sentence, effective from her conviction on July 3, 2025, means the founder of the Heaven Way International Ministry will serve a total of one year in prison.
In an interview with the media after the court session, Agradaa's lawyer confirmed the judgment in the appeal case.
He noted that he and his legal team had initially hoped the judge would dismiss the full 15-year jail term handed to his client in 2025.
The Instagram video of Agradaa's lawyer speaking after the court's ruling is below:
Following the reduction of Agradaa's sentence, there has been a lot of discussion on social media about the court's decision. Many have wondered about the reasoning behind the court's decision.
Why court reduced Agradaa's 15-year sentence
Sharing his thoughts on the decision and the subsequent social media debate, private legal practitioner Noah E. Tetteh has stated that the court acted within its rights and had not faltered.
According to him, there are two main offences for defrauding by false pretences, one for general defrauding, and the other for defrauding in the name of the President or Cabinet, in the Criminal Code (Act 29, 1960).
"Section 131 creates two distinct offences. Section 131(1) deals with general defrauding by false pretences. Section 131(2) creates a special and more serious form of the offence, where the accused defrauds someone by pretending to act for the President or a member of Cabinet."
He added that the punishments for the two were distinct. Offenders of Section 131 (2) are expected to serve between 10 to years, while Act 30, Section 296 directs offenders of the general defrauding by false pretence, classified as a second-degree felony, should serve a maximum of 25 years.
"...Section 296 of Act 30 provides that the punishment for defrauding by pretence should not exceed 25 years. This means two things: first, for the offence under 131(1), the sentencing range runs from one day to 25 years. For the offence under 131(2), as already provided in the same section, the punishment remains 10-25 years."
With Agradaa's conviction, likely a general defrauding by false pretences offence, under Section 131 (1), it was not out of place for the court to rule this way, and she could have been handed as little as a one-day sentence.
"If she was charged under section 131(1), as appears to be the case, then the lawful sentencing range was from one day to 25 years. In that situation, the appellate court was well within the law to reduce the sentence to one year."
See his Facebook post below:
Agradaa shows her face during court appearance
Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that Agradaa showed her face during her appearance in court on Thursday, February 5, 2026.
In a video, the televangelist was escorted out of a vehicle by prison guards as she gave fans a glimpse of her current state.
Footage of Agradaa's appearance at the Amasaman High Court triggered mixed reactions among social media users.
Source: YEN.com.gh
