Lawyer criticises reduction of Agradaa’s jail term to 12 months
A legal practitioner has criticised the High Court’s decision to reduce the 15-year jail sentence imposed on self-styled evangelist Nana Agradaa to one year, describing the ruling as a bad precedent for the administration of justice.
Speaking on the matter on Starr Showbiz with Feeling Daddy on Starr 103.5 FM on Saturday, February 7, lawyer Prince Benson Mankotam said the sentence reduction was inconsistent with Ghana’s sentencing framework for defrauding by false pretence.
“Defrauding by false pretence is a second-degree felony, and the punishment can go as high as 25 years,” he stated, adding that the reduced sentence did not reflect the seriousness of the offence.
According to Mankotam, sentencing guidelines were introduced to promote consistency and proportionality, but the one-year custodial sentence fell outside acceptable ranges for such crimes.
“Even if the court wanted to be lenient, the guidelines do not support reducing the sentence to one year,” he said, stressing that “a sentence of not less than five years would have been more appropriate.”
The lawyer further described the circumstances surrounding the offence as aggravating, noting that the crime involved the exploitation of religion.
“This was a case where religion was used as a tool to defraud people,” he said, adding that such actions take advantage of the trust and vulnerability of victims and should attract stiffer punishment.
Mankotam also pointed out that there were multiple aggravating factors which, in his view, were not adequately considered in the sentence reduction.
While acknowledging the court’s discretion, he noted that the ruling is not final and could still be challenged.
“The Attorney-General has the option to appeal the reduced sentence if they believe it does not serve the interest of justice,” he said.
He warned that such a drastic reduction in punishment could weaken public confidence in the justice system and send the wrong signal to persons engaged in similar acts of deception.
Background
Nana Agradaa, the founder of Godsway International Church, was convicted of defrauding by false pretences after allegedly duping church members through a money-doubling scam during an all-night service at her Weija church in Accra. She was originally sentenced on July 3, 2025, to 15 years in prison with hard labour, along with a fine of GH¢300.
Her lawyers filed an appeal on July 7, 2025, arguing that the trial judge had erred by shifting the burden of proof to the defendant despite insufficient evidence from the prosecution.
On February 5, 2026, the High Court in Amasaman, presided over by Justice Solomon Oppong-Twumasi, significantly reduced the 15-year prison sentence handed down to her, cutting it to just one year. The court also ordered the refund of GH¢1,000 to the victims and clarified that the one-year sentence takes effect from the date of her original sentencing in July 2025.
