Agradaa To Spend 15yrs In Prison

The Circuit Court 10 in Accra has handed down a total sentence of 30 years in hard labour to self-styled evangelist and controversial religious figure, Patricia Aseidua, popularly known as Evangelist Mama Pat or Agradaa, after she was found guilty on multiple counts of defrauding by false pretence and charlatanic advertisement.

Her Ladyship Evelyn Asamoah delivered the ruling after a full trial, convicting Aseidua of three separate charges. She received:

A fine of 25 penalty units (or 30 days imprisonment in default) for charlatanic advertisement, a misdemeanour offence under Ghanaian law;

15 years in hard labour for defrauding by false pretence; and

Another 15 years in hard labour for a separate count of defrauding by false pretence.

The sentences are to run concurrently, meaning the convict will serve 15 years in total.

Defence Pleads for Mercy

During the sentencing hearing, Aseidua’s legal counsel, Richard Asare Baffour, made a passionate plea for leniency.

He urged the court to consider a non-custodial sentence, citing her status as a mother of five children — with her eldest being a 24-year-old law student and her youngest just three years old.

“We humbly approach your mercy seat on bended knees,” Baffour said. “A custodial sentence will shatter the dreams of her children and deprive her congregation of a leader they depend on for survival.”

He added that Aseidua had been cooperative throughout the trial, was remorseful, and had stayed away from similar allegations since the case began in 2022.

“She has not had a brush with the law since her previous case and we believe that three years of trial participation is punishment enough,” he stated.

Prosecution Highlights Repeat Offending

However, ASP Emmanuel Haligah, representing the prosecution, opposed the defence’s appeal, stressing the deliberate nature of Aseidua’s actions and the increasing threat of spiritual scams and deceptive advertisements in the country.

“This crime was premeditated, and its effects on vulnerable victims are severe,” ASP Haligah argued. “The convict is not a first-time offender. In 2021, she was convicted and fined GH¢10,000, with a default prison term of nine months — yet here we are again in 2025.”

He urged the court to impose a custodial sentence that would act as a deterrent to others who engage in similar fraudulent practices under the guise of religion.

A Divisive Figure

Evangelist Mama Pat, a former fetish priestess turned Christian evangelist, has long been a polarizing figure in Ghanaian religious circles. She has drawn criticism and legal action for controversial “money-doubling” schemes and other spiritual services alleged to prey on the vulnerable.

Her sentencing today is expected to reignite national conversations about religious fraud, media regulation of spiritual advertising, and the legal system’s handling of high-profile religious figures.

The post Agradaa To Spend 15yrs In Prison appeared first on The Ghanaian Chronicle.

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