Man mistakenly sent 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 casino sites, sources close to the matter stated Tuesday.

The man is unlikely to have the ability to return the cash transferred to him in error by the town of Abu, Yamaguchi Prefecture, in response to his lawyer, who mentioned a resolution by means of litigation is being considered.

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

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

Final Thursday, the city sued the person for around 51 million yen for the complete return of the funds plus legal fees. In line with the city, 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 person'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 saved his cellphone following voluntary questioning in April and Might.

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

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