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The High Court has reduced the 15-year prison sentence handed to controversial evangelist Patricia Asiedua, popularly known as Nana Agradaa, to 12 months, her lawyer has said.
Speaking on the Asaase Breakfast Show on Friday (6 February), Agradaa’s legal representative, Richard Asare Baffour, clarified that the court delivered a final judgment — not a ruling — and upheld the conviction but significantly cut the sentence.
“In simple terms, the High Court judge reduced the 15 years to 12 months. The conviction was affirmed, but the sentence was reduced on grounds that it was unreasonably harsh and excessive given the circumstances,” he explained.
According to him, the defence had sought to have the conviction overturned entirely, but the judge declined to rely on what he described as technical legal arguments and instead focused on the substance of the case.
“We argued that the conviction be set aside, but the court said it would not pay attention to technicalities in a criminal matter and rather focus on the substantive issues,” he said.
Why the sentence was reduced
Baffour said the High Court found flaws in how the trial court handled sentencing, particularly its failure to consider mitigating factors.
He cited constitutional requirements that judges must account for the time an accused person has already spent in custody before sentencing. In Agradaa’s case, he said she had spent 42 days in custody which were not considered.
He also argued that the trial judge focused heavily on aggravating factors while ignoring mitigating ones, including the relatively small amount involved in the offence.
“The amount involved was GH¢500. Under the sentencing guidelines, that should place her in the lower band, which attracts between zero and two years. Putting her in a higher band and imposing 15 years was very unfair,” he said.
The lawyer added that in comparable cases involving larger sums, courts had imposed shorter sentences.
“Even the 12 months is harsh considering the amount involved, but compared to 15 years, we will take it,” he noted.
Possible early release
Baffour said the exact duration Agradaa will serve remains unclear pending clarification from prison authorities, but indicated the effective sentence could be shorter due to remission rules.
“A 12-month sentence often translates to about 10 months on the prison calendar, and with remission it could reduce further to about eight months,” he said.
He added that the conviction remains on her record since it was not overturned.
Further appeal uncertain
Although he believes the case could still be challenged on technical grounds — including procedural issues during the trial — Baffour said the defence may not pursue further appeals.
“If we appeal, the sentence could be sustained or even enhanced. In criminal matters, sometimes you don’t want to over-press,” he said.
‘Highly spirited’
Despite the legal setback, the lawyer said Agradaa has remained calm and optimistic.
“She is highly spirited. From day one, she has maintained her composure and even encourages us,” he said, adding that the public should expect “a refined Agradaa” after she completes her sentence.
The High Court’s decision ends weeks of uncertainty following the initial 15-year term, which had drawn widespread public debate over sentencing proportionality.
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