Evangelist Patricia Asiedua Asiamah, well-known as Nana Agradaa or Mama Pat, says the moment she was ordered to serve 15 years behind bars felt like the end of her world.
In a video released by the Ghana Prison Service, she opened up about the shock that followed her conviction and the dread that gripped her as she was escorted to begin her sentence. The first day, she said, was filled with panic and unanswered questions about what lay ahead.
“On my way to prison, I honestly thought I was going to die. When I got to the gate, I prayed and handed myself over to God because I had no idea what awaited me inside. I just held my Bible and walked in,” she shared.
She described the trial court’s initial ruling as something she could not mentally process. A 15-year term with hard labour, in her telling, felt detached from reality. Accepting that she would spend more than a decade in custody seemed impossible.
“When I was sentenced to 15 years, I never believed I would actually spend that long in jail. I kept asking myself what wrong I had done, so I couldn’t accept that fate. At that point, I believed the only things that could help me were prayers and the word of God,” she added.
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Her legal troubles began with a conviction on July 3, 2025, when an Accra Circuit Court found her guilty on several counts, including charlatanic advertisement and defrauding by false pretence. Prosecutors argued that she had promoted a money-doubling scheme during church services at Heaven Way Champion International Ministry in Weija, within the Greater Accra Region.
The case centred on a heavily publicised service where congregants were allegedly promised miraculous financial returns in exchange for cash contributions. According to the prosecution, those assurances never materialised, prompting complaints from individuals who said they had been misled.
On February 5, 2026, the High Court reviewed the matter. While the court affirmed her conviction, it concluded that the original sentence was excessive and disproportionate, and it reduced the term accordingly.
Agradaa was finally released from prison on March 3, 2026.
