The Amasaman High Court has reduced the 15-year prison sentence imposed on controversial evangelist Nana Agradaa to 12 calendar months, describing the original punishment as harsh and excessive under the circumstances of the case.
In its ruling, the court upheld Nana Agradaa’s conviction but exercised its discretionary powers to vary the sentence, cutting it down from the 15 years of hard labour earlier imposed by the trial court. The judge held that while the offence warranted punishment, the severity of the sentence was disproportionate and therefore required a downward adjustment.
The revised sentence is to take effect from July 3, 2025 — the date of her conviction — meaning Nana Agradaa will serve a total of 12 months in prison.
According to the court, sentencing must reflect not only the gravity of the offence but also the principle of proportionality. In this case, the court found that the original custodial term went beyond what was reasonable in relation to the offence, even though the conviction itself was sound in law.
Nana Agradaa, a former fetish priestess who later rebranded herself as a Christian evangelist, was convicted earlier this year and sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment with hard labour.
The sentence sparked widespread public debate, with legal practitioners and members of the public questioning its severity.
