An Accra Circuit Court has remanded Vincent Apetor, an unemployed man, into custody after he admitted to squandering GHC114,000 belonging to his girlfriend that had been set aside for their planned travel to the Netherlands.
Apetor, who pleaded guilty to fraudulent breach of trust, is scheduled to reappear before the court, presided over by Mr. Joseph Y. Kunsong, on July 8, 2026, for sentencing.
Authorities have recovered GHC35,000 of the stolen amount, leaving an outstanding GHC79,000.
According to prosecution led by Inspector Frank Morgan Dorvi, the complainant, a secretary whose identity has been withheld, resided with Apetor at Ablekuma and had been in a romantic relationship with him.
The couple had engaged a travel agent, identified only as Razak, to facilitate their visa applications. The agent advised them to increase their bank balances to strengthen their chances of approval.
Because Apetor was unemployed, the complainant secured a loan from a relative and, between September 24, 2024, and February 17, 2025, deposited a total of GHC114,000 into his Ecobank account.
The court heard that Apetor secretly obtained an ATM card linked to the account and systematically withdrew the entire sum without the complainant’s knowledge over the same period.
To conceal his actions, Apetor allegedly obtained a cheque book for the account and hid it in their shared room.
The complainant, believing the funds were intact because the cheque book appeared unused, continued to check it periodically without suspicion.
The fraud came to light when Apetor requested a bank statement to support his visa application. His application was ultimately rejected due to errors in the forms.
When the complainant later demanded the return of the GHC114,000, she discovered the funds had been depleted.
Upon investigation and subsequent arrest, Apetor confessed to the offence, stating that he had lost the bulk of the money on football betting.
Police recovered GHC35,000, leaving a deficit of GHC79,000.
The accused remains in lawful custody pending his sentencing hearing next month.
