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

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

The person is unlikely to be able to return the money transferred to him in error by the city of Abu, Yamaguchi Prefecture, in response to his lawyer, who said a resolution via litigation is being thought of.

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

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

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

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

On April 6, after procedures to switch 100,000 yen in COVID-19 relief cash to each of the 463 low-income households in Abu had been accomplished, a city official mistakenly submitted a single transfer request to a financial establishment for 46.3 million yen for the person whose identify was on the prime of the listing.

All the quantity was transferred to the person's checking account on April 8.