Man mistakenly despatched 46.3 mil. yen in COVID funds gambles all of it away

A 24-year-old man mistakenly sent 46.3 million yen ($360,000) in COVID-19 relief money by the western Japan town he resides in, says he gambled it all away on abroad on line casino websites, sources close to the matter stated Tuesday.

The person is unlikely to be able to return the cash transferred to him in error by the town of Abu, Yamaguchi Prefecture, in accordance with his lawyer, who mentioned a decision via litigation is being thought of.

Abu Mayor Norihiko Hanada speaks to reporters on May 12, 2022, on the Abu city office in Yamaguchi Prefecture, western Japan. (Kyodo)

Speaking at a press convention Monday, the lawyer said the person had told him that he had moved the cash out of his account utilizing his smartphone. The lawyer mentioned that the man lives alone and no one else is believed to be involved within the matter.

Last Thursday, the city sued the man for round 51 million yen for the total return of the funds plus authorized charges. In accordance with the town, the man had refused to return the cash, saying it was "moved from my account and can't be returned. I'll atone for my sins."

The person's lawyer has refuted claims that he became unreachable after the town filed the lawsuit against him, saying that police had stored his telephone following voluntary questioning in April and Could.

On April 6, after procedures to switch 100,000 yen in COVID-19 aid cash to every of the 463 low-income households in Abu had been accomplished, a city official mistakenly submitted a single transfer request to a financial institution for 46.3 million yen for the person whose name was at the top of the record.

Your entire quantity was transferred to the person's bank account on April 8.