An Accra Circuit Court has remanded Vincent Apetor, an unemployed man, into lawful custody after he pleaded guilty to fraudulently spending GH¢114,000 entrusted to him for travel purposes.

Apetor, charged with fraudulent breach of trust, will reappear before the court on July 8, 2026, for sentencing. Police recovered GH¢35,000, leaving an outstanding balance of GH¢79,000.

Prosecuting, Inspector Frank Morgan Dorvi, told the court, presided over by Mr Joseph Y. Kunsong, that the complainant, whose name was withheld, is a secretary residing at Ablekuma, while Apetor lives at Bubuashie-Atico, both in Accra.

The prosecution said the complainant and Apetor, who were then in a romantic relationship and living together, planned to travel to Holland and contacted a travel agent, identified as Razak, to facilitate the process. According to the prosecution, the travel agent advised them to increase the balance in their bank account to improve their chances of obtaining visas.

The court heard that because Apetor was unemployed, the complainant secured a loan from a relative and, between September 24, 2024, and February 17, 2025, deposited money into his Ecobank account. She also gave part of the money to Apetor and other persons to deposit into the same account, bringing the total amount deposited to GH¢114,000.

The prosecution said Apetor secretly obtained an ATM card linked to the account and, between September 25, 2024, and February 17, 2025, withdrew all the money, including the complainant’s GH¢114,000, without her knowledge. To prevent the complainant from discovering the withdrawals, Apetor allegedly obtained a cheque book for the account and deliberately concealed it in their room.

The complainant occasionally inspected the cheque book and believed the funds remained intact because it had not been used. Apetor later obtained a bank statement to support his visa application, but the application was refused because of errors on the visa application forms.

When the complainant subsequently requested the GH¢114,000, she discovered that the money had been withdrawn and spent. She reported the matter to the Police in August 2025, leading to Apetor’s arrest.

During investigations, Apetor admitted the offence and stated that “he spent most of the money on football betting and lost.” Police however recovered GH¢35,000 from Apetor, leaving an outstanding balance of GH¢79,000.