Agradaa’s Sentence Won’t Stop Empress Gifty’s Lawsuit – Lawyer Explains

Legal practitioner Obiri Boahen has assured the public that the recent 15-year jail sentence handed to evangelist Patricia Asiedua, popularly known as Nana Agradaa, will not hinder any other legal actions against her, including a defamation lawsuit filed by gospel musician Empress Gifty.

Speaking on Okay FM on July 3, 2025, Mr. Boahen explained that Agradaa’s conviction for defrauding by false pretence and charlatanic advertisement does not shield her from facing additional court cases.

“Empress Gifty still has a case, and regardless of whether Agradaa is in prison, it will not affect her ability to proceed with the defamation suit. Empress can pursue the prosecution even in Agradaa’s absence,” he stated.

He further clarified that Ghana’s legal system does not require courts to wait until an accused finishes serving a sentence before dealing with other cases. If a judge requires Agradaa’s presence, the court can order the prison service to present her.

“The court will not put Empress Gifty’s case on hold simply because Agradaa is in jail. There’s no provision in Ghana’s laws that mandates the suspension of court proceedings due to incarceration,” Mr. Boahen noted.

He added that any other criminal cases pending against Agradaa in different courts will also continue uninterrupted.

“If there are other cases in different courts, they will not be cancelled. The court has the authority to issue a warrant for the prison service to present her in court if needed,” he said.

He also addressed concerns about the location of the defamation trial. Mr. Boahen stated that Empress Gifty cannot be forced to move her case closer to Agradaa’s prison for convenience.

“You cannot request that Empress Gifty transfer her case to a court closer to Agradaa’s prison. The only option available is for Agradaa’s legal team to petition the Chief Justice, citing her incarceration as a basis to consider logistical adjustments,” he explained.

Meanwhile, Agradaa’s legal team has announced plans to appeal her 15-year sentence, describing the ruling as unfair and excessive. The conviction, delivered by the Accra Circuit Court, is based on a 2022 televised program where Agradaa falsely claimed she had powers to double money. Many individuals fell victim to the scam after giving her money in hopes of financial gain.

“The court has spoken, but we disagree with everything. In spite of our disagreement, we will trigger the appeal process on Monday,” her lawyer told reporters.

The defence team questioned the court’s basis for the conviction, claiming that not all charges were supported by evidence.

“When the prosecution closed its case, we made it very clear that some charges had no supporting evidence. In fact, the court acquitted and discharged her on some counts because no evidence was led during the trial,” the lawyer argued.

They also described the GH¢540 involved as a “trivial amount” and insisted that Agradaa was jailed because of her public image.

“I’m very clear in my mind that Agradaa has been jailed because of who she is, not because of what she’s alleged to have done,” the lawyer said.

Agradaa is currently serving her sentence with hard labour while her legal team prepares to file the formal appeal.