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

A 24-year-old man mistakenly sent 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 overseas casino sites, sources near the matter said Tuesday.

The person is unlikely to have the ability to return the money transferred to him in error by the town of Abu, Yamaguchi Prefecture, based on his lawyer, who said a resolution via litigation is being considered.

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

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

Last Thursday, the town sued the man for round 51 million yen for the total return of the funds plus authorized charges. In accordance with the town, the man had refused to return the money, 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 town filed the lawsuit in opposition to him, saying that police had stored his phone following voluntary questioning in April and Could.

On April 6, after procedures to transfer 100,000 yen in COVID-19 aid money to each of the 463 low-income households in Abu had been completed, a town official mistakenly submitted a single switch request to a monetary establishment for 46.3 million yen for the person whose identify was on the prime of the list.

The entire quantity was transferred to the person's bank account on April 8.