Lawyers for the jailed founder of Heaven Way Champion International Ministry, Evangelist Patricia Asiedua, popularly known as Nana Agradaa, have filed an application for bail pending appeal, at High Court following her recent conviction and sentencing to 15 years imprisonment with hard labor.
On July 3, 2025, the Circuit Court, presided over by Her Honor Evelyn Asamoah, found Nana Agradaa guilty on three counts: one count of charlatanic advertisement and two counts of defrauding by false pretenses.
She was sentenced to pay 25 penalty units or serve 30 days for the first count and 15 years imprisonment on each of the other two counts, to run concurrently.
Nana Agradaa’s legal team, led by Richard Asare Baffour, maintains that the conviction was flawed and the sentence overly harsh. They have since filed a petition challenging the ruling and are now seeking bail for their client while the appeal is pending.
Filed on July 9, 2025, the bail application argues that the appeal stands a strong chance of success.
In the statement of case, her lawyers assert that the trial was tainted by procedural and evidential missteps, including what they describe as a biased approach by the presiding judge.
Central to their argument is the claim that the trial judge improperly shifted the burden of proof from the prosecution to the accused.
They contend that Nana Agradaa was unfairly expected to prove her innocence regarding allegations that she instructed her followers to turn off the lights and cameras during a service — an allegation she has consistently denied.
The lawyers pointed to a particular moment in court where the judge relied on a statement made by the Master of Ceremonies (MC) in a video presented as evidence.
According to them, the MC’s remarks were used to discredit Nana Agradaa’s denial of the claims, despite the fact that the complainants had accused her personally of giving the instruction — not the MC.
Further, the defense criticized the judge’s handling of the evidence, describing it as a “selective analysis.” They argued that while the judge meticulously noted video timestamps relating to lighting anomalies, she allegedly failed to adequately examine the duration of the lighting issue in relation to the events described by the complainants.
The legal team also expressed dissatisfaction with the sentencing phase, noting that despite the judge’s reference to Ghana’s Sentencing Guidelines, there was no clear indication that mitigating factors — including the defense’s plea for leniency — were considered.
According to the statement, Nana Agradaa is committed to complying with all court conditions if granted bail.
Her lawyers assured the court that she would appear as required and that sureties would be made available to provide sufficient security as part of the bail terms.
