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

A 24-year-old man mistakenly despatched 46.3 million yen ($360,000) in COVID-19 relief cash by the western Japan town he resides in, says he gambled it all away on overseas on line casino websites, sources near the matter said Tuesday.

The person is unlikely to have the ability to return the cash transferred to him in error by the town of Abu, Yamaguchi Prefecture, in accordance with his lawyer, who stated a decision by way of litigation is being thought-about.

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

Speaking at a press conference Monday, the lawyer mentioned the man had told him that he had moved the money out of his account using his smartphone. The lawyer stated that the person lives alone and no one else is believed to be concerned in the matter.

Final Thursday, the city sued the person for around 51 million yen for the complete return of the funds plus legal charges. In response to the town, the person had refused to return the money, saying it was "moved from my account and cannot be returned. I'll atone for my sins."

The man's lawyer has refuted claims that he grew to become unreachable after the city filed the lawsuit in opposition to him, saying that police had kept his telephone following voluntary questioning in April and Could.

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

All the amount was transferred to the man's bank account on April 8.