I Went With ₵‎700 And Returned With Empty Pocket; Victim Of Agradaa’s Alleged Money Doubling Scam

Prince Yeboah, a victim of the alleged fraud perpetrated by fetish priest-turned-Evangelist, Patricia Asiedua has recounted how the October 7 watch night service where money was going to be shared among congregants ended him up with an empty pocket.

The resident of Odorkor says he travelled all the way to Weija that faithful Friday after chancing on an advertisement by the self-styled evangelist to disburse money to all persons who would attend the vigil.

He says he went to the church with ₵‎700 in his pocket with the assurance of bagging home GH₵‎400,000 but returned home with an empty pocket- not even with his GH₵‎700.

Recounting the series of events that propelled him to willingly give out his money, he said, the Patricia “started with a nice worship that if you look at her on the platform, you will think the woman has changed”.

“Later”, he recalled, “she asked us to sow a seed of GHc 100 and we complied”.

He continued, “then she asked for the doors to be locked for the purpose of the day to flow. The doors were locked, and she started praying and sprinkling water and stuff on people. That was when she slapped one of her bodyguards for the reason that he isn’t helping her.

“She later sent out the cameramen capturing the service for her TV station,” he said, noting that she also banned the congregants from taking videos of what was going to take place.

“She then asked for the money she was going to supposedly distribute. Some GhC20 notes were brought in a big white A4 sheet box. She was also having two bundles of GHc400,000 on a table”.

“She said she was going to distribute the notes to everyone without taking anything from us but for the GHc400,000 she wants someone who will bring Ghc1,000 for it. When she said that half of the congregants stood up and went. As they were standing there, she said those with ₵‎800, ‎₵700, ₵‎600, and ₵‎500 can join. We went and she asked us to pick a leader out of ourselves and we did. She said the Ghc400,000 was going to be shared among ourselves.

“It got to a point that she called those with ₵‎200, ₵‎300. She said they are going to get Ghc50,000. It got to a point she said if you have 10 pesewas you can join. She took every money from us”, the 24-year-old recounted on Eyewitness News.

After emptying pockets, bags and purses, he said, the former fetish priest kept the bundles of money she was supposed to share on her pulpit under guard and warned against any agitation when some congregants began suspecting foul play.

In reaction, he said, she called out for Ghc5000 in exchange for the GHc400,000. “Three persons related to her went forward and were handed the bundles of money.

“She threatened to beat anyone who complained and buffeted one woman to the extent that she bled. She told us she can do whatever she wants at her church when one man demanded his money.

“When the service was over, she called us for counselling and we all assembled at the back of the church for our money. There she insulted us and distributed some Ghc10 notes to stranded attendees.

“If your transport fare is Ghc20, she will give you Ghc10. If it’s Ghc100, she will tell you she can’t afford it and so go home the next day. If you persistently demand, she would order her guards to beat you up.

According to Prince, Agradaa was surrounded by guards who had in their possession implements like cutlasses and canes with which they assaulted recalcitrant victims.

Prince says he has learnt his lessons but wants the founder of Heaven Way Church sentenced.

Patricia has been charged with defrauding and is currently under remand.

In a video posted on the Facebook page of Agradaa’s Television Station on Sunday, the self-styled evangelist denied scamming anyone.

According to her, she promised to disburse money to her existing members and not new ones and that was why not all could get some of the money she shared.

She also indicated that the monies she collected from the members were their offerings as done in every church.

“Let me take this opportunity to talk about the video which has gone viral. Rev Mama Pat, I came out to say I was giving out money to my church members to venture into businesses of their choice. I called on anyone who needed some of the money to come, get saved, write their name with our church and begin coming to church. So if I have conducted a watch night service and disbursed money among my members and as a new member, you couldn’t get some, I have not wronged you, I have not defrauded you.

“Everyone bears witness that we disbursed money during the service and everyone knows offerings are taken during church service… We began taking offerings from GHc1,000 to the least and those who didn’t have physical cash were given the option to use Mobile Money”.

Source: opemsuo.com/Hajara Fuseini