Lawyer for former traditional priestess turned evangelist Patricia Asiedua Asiamah, popularly known as Nana Agradaa, has announced plans to challenge the 15-year jail sentence handed to his client by the Circuit Court in Accra.
Speaking on Citi Eyewitness News on Thursday, July 3, Richard Asare Baffour described the ruling as a miscarriage of justice and revealed that the legal team would file an appeal at the earliest opportunity.
Agradaa was sentenced by Her Honour Evelyn Asamoah of Circuit Court 10 to 15 years in prison for two counts of defrauding by false pretences. She was also fined GH¢300 for one count of charlatanic advertisement, with a 30-day custodial sentence in default of payment.
“We were not expecting this at all but in summary, the judgment delivered by the court today is nothing but a travesty of justice,” he said.
Earlier, Baffour had pleaded for leniency, stressing Agradaa’s role as a mother of five and her remorseful conduct during the trial. However, the court sided with the prosecution, which argued for a stiff penalty to deter similar fraudulent acts.
Agradaa was arrested in October 2022 after advertising a money-doubling scheme during a church event. Her legal team now hopes the appeal will overturn the sentence or reduce the severity of the punishment.