Ghanaian evangelist Patricia Asiedua has won her appeal with the Amasaman High Court, and her jail term, which was supposed to be 15 years, has been reduced to a year.
We all know that Agraada was initially sentenced to 15 years by the Circuit Court because she invited people to her church & promised to give them Ghc100,000-Ghc300,000 if they gave her Ghc500+.
Out of all the people she allegedly defrauded, only 2 testified, and each of them gave her Ghc500 hoping to receive Ghc100,000+.
Here is why the High Court reduced her sentence from 15 years to 1 year. The court said:
1. The sentence was not proportional to the amount involved. Like, how can you sentence someone to 15 years for fraud involving only Ghc1,000? Like, come on!
2. Only 2 victims testified in court.
3. Ghana’s Criminal Code does not have a minimum sentence for fraud. The court could have literally sentenced her to 1 day of imprisonment.
4. Failure to credit pretrial custody. The circuit court did not take into account the 32 days Agradaa spent in custody before she was sentenced.
I really doubt her sentence was reduced due to her wealth or political influence. The appellate court simply corrected a sentence that didn’t fit the law.
Meanwhile, people should expect her to be out of prison by next month because she was convicted on July 3, 2025.
This is her 8th month in custody, and her sentence was revised to 1 year, and it takes effect from the day of her conviction (July 3, 2025).
In prison, a year is 9 months, not 12 months.
Agradaa could be out next month.
