Man Who Blew GHC114k on Betting Remanded; Faces Sentencing July 8

An Accra Circuit Court has remanded Vincent Apetor, an unemployed man, after he pleaded guilty to fraudulently spending GHC114,000 entrusted to him for travel arrangements.

Apetor, charged with fraudulent breach of trust, is expected to reappear on July 8, 2026, for sentencing. Police have so far recovered GHC35,000, leaving an outstanding balance of GHC79,000.

Prosecutor Inspector Frank Morgan Dorvi told the court, presided over by Joseph Y. Kunsong, that the complainant — a secretary living at Ablekuma — and Apetor, who lived at Bubuashie-Atico, were in a romantic relationship and planned to travel to Holland. They engaged a travel agent, identified as Razak, to facilitate the process.

The agent advised them to increase the balance in their bank account to improve their chances of securing visas. Because Apetor was unemployed, the complainant secured a loan from a relative and, between September 24, 2024, and February 17, 2025, deposited funds into his Ecobank account. She also handed additional amounts to Apetor and others to deposit, bringing the total to GHC114,000.

Unknown to her, Apetor secretly obtained an ATM card linked to the account and withdrew all the funds over the same period. To conceal the withdrawals, he allegedly obtained a cheque book and hid it in their room. The complainant occasionally checked the unused cheque book and believed the money remained intact.

Apetor later obtained a bank statement for his visa application, but the application was rejected due to errors on the forms. When the complainant eventually requested the GHC114,000, she discovered the funds had been withdrawn and spent.

She reported the matter to the Police in August 2025, leading to Apetor’s arrest. During investigations, he admitted the offence, stating that “he spent most of the money on football betting and lost.”

Police recovered GHC35,000, leaving GHC79,000 outstanding.

— GNA