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

A 24-year-old man mistakenly despatched 46.3 million yen ($360,000) in COVID-19 relief cash by the western Japan city he resides in, says he gambled it all away on abroad casino websites, sources near 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 response to his lawyer, who stated a decision via litigation is being thought-about.

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

Speaking at a press conference Monday, the lawyer said the man had told him that he had moved the cash out of his account using his smartphone. The lawyer mentioned that the man lives alone and nobody else is believed to be concerned within the matter.

Final Thursday, the town sued the person for round 51 million yen for the full return of the funds plus authorized fees. According to the city, the person had refused to return the money, saying it was "moved from my account and cannot be returned. I will atone for my sins."

The man's lawyer has refuted claims that he became unreachable after the town filed the lawsuit in opposition to 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 aid cash to every of the 463 low-income households in Abu had been accomplished, a town official mistakenly submitted a single switch request to a financial establishment for 46.3 million yen for the person whose identify was on the prime of the list.

Your complete quantity was transferred to the man's bank account on April 8.