Bank Relationship Manager Denies GH¢12m Theft Charges as Court Uncovers Alleged Betting, Forgery Scheme

 

A Relationship Manager at a private bank in Accra, Christopher Arthur, has pleaded not guilty to charges of stealing GH¢12 million from a businessman whose accounts he managed.

Arthur appeared before the Circuit Court, presided over by His Honour Eyram Fumey, where he denied allegations that he diverted the funds for personal use, including spending about GH¢600,000 on the sports betting platform SportyBet.

According to prosecutors, Arthur allegedly manipulated the client’s accounts over an extended period and forged bank statements to conceal the transactions. Investigators claim he later admitted to the offence and made partial refunds.

The court has admitted Arthur to bail in the sum of GH¢12 million with four sureties, three of whom must be justified. His counsel, Samuel Laryea, successfully applied for bail, which was not opposed by the prosecution led by Chief Inspector Jonas Larwer.

Irregularities and alleged fraud

Court documents indicate that the complainant, a businessman, opened three accounts at the bank’s Haatso branch in 2023, all managed by Arthur. Suspicion arose in January 2026 after irregularities were detected.

Further checks reportedly revealed that GH¢12 million had been misappropriated. On March 8, 2026, Arthur is said to have generated a falsified internal bank statement in an attempt to mislead the client, but the document was later discovered to be forged.

Partial refunds and alleged confession

Prosecutors say Arthur initially refunded GH¢94,000, followed by an additional GH¢1,195,900 on March 12, 2026, after allegedly admitting wrongdoing. However, authorities maintain that the recovered sums represent only a small portion of the total amount involved.

Police probe and alleged network

The case was reported to the Baatsonaa Police on March 25, 2026, leading to Arthur’s arrest. During investigations, he allegedly disclosed that the scheme began in April 2025 with the assistance of two individuals based in Kumasi.

Authorities suspect the funds were channelled through multiple accounts across different banks, with withdrawals totalling about GH¢7.5 million traced so far.

Assets retrieved, investigations ongoing

Investigators have recovered several items believed to be proceeds of the alleged crime, including a Toyota Corolla, a Hyundai Elantra, an Apple laptop, and GH¢481,800 in cash.

Prosecutors describe the case as complex, involving coordinated transactions across multiple platforms and accounts. Efforts are ongoing to identify additional suspects, secure further financial records, and trace the remaining funds.

The court has directed the prosecution to file its disclosures ahead of the next hearing, scheduled for May 26, 2026, for a Case Management Conference.