An Accra Circuit Court has sentenced Vincent Apetor to 14 days’ imprisonment for fraudulently spending GH¢114,000 belonging to his former girlfriend on football betting.
The court, presided over by Mr Joseph Y. Kunsong, also fined Apetor GH¢3,000 or, in default, six months’ imprisonment. He was further ordered to refund the outstanding GH¢79,000 after serving his custodial sentence.
Apetor, who is unemployed, pleaded guilty to a charge of fraudulent breach of trust.
The prosecution, led by Inspector Frank Morgan Dorvi, told the court that the complainant, a secretary residing at Ablekuma, and Apetor, who lives at Bubuashie-Atico in Accra, were previously in a romantic relationship and lived together.
According to the prosecution, the couple had planned to travel to the Netherlands and contacted a travel agent, identified as Razak, who advised them to increase their bank balance to improve their chances of obtaining visas.
Because Apetor was unemployed, the complainant secured a loan from a relative and deposited portions of the money into Apetor’s Ecobank account between September 24, 2024, and February 17, 2025.
The prosecution said the complainant also gave money to Apetor and other individuals to deposit into the account, bringing the total amount deposited to GH¢114,000.
The court heard that Apetor secretly obtained an ATM card linked to the account and, between September 25, 2024, and February 17, 2025, withdrew the funds, including the complainant’s money, without her knowledge.
He also obtained a cheque book and concealed it in their room, leading the complainant to believe the money remained in the account because the cheque book had not been used.
According to the prosecution, Apetor later obtained a bank statement to support his visa application but was denied a visa because of errors in his application forms.
The complainant subsequently requested the return of the GH¢114,000 and discovered that the money had been spent.
The matter was reported to the police in August 2025, leading to Apetor’s arrest.
During police investigations, Apetor admitted spending most of the money on football betting and losing it.
Police recovered GH¢35,000 from him, leaving an outstanding balance of GH¢79,000.
