Man mistakenly sent 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 town he resides in, says he gambled all of it away on abroad on line casino websites, sources near the matter mentioned Tuesday.

The person is unlikely to have the ability to return the cash transferred to him in error by the city of Abu, Yamaguchi Prefecture, in keeping with his lawyer, who mentioned a decision by litigation is being thought of.

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

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

Final Thursday, the city sued the person for around 51 million yen for the full return of the funds plus legal fees. Based on the town, the person 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 man's lawyer has refuted claims that he became unreachable after the town filed the lawsuit in opposition to him, saying that police had saved his cellphone following voluntary questioning in April and Might.

On April 6, after procedures to switch 100,000 yen in COVID-19 relief money to each of the 463 low-income households in Abu had been accomplished, a city official mistakenly submitted a single switch request to a monetary institution for 46.3 million yen for the man whose identify was at the high of the checklist.

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