Man mistakenly sent 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 aid cash by the western Japan city he resides in, says he gambled it all away on abroad on line casino websites, sources close to the matter mentioned Tuesday.

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

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

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

Last Thursday, the town sued the person for around 51 million yen for the full return of the funds plus authorized charges. In line with the town, the person had refused to return the cash, saying it was "moved from my account and cannot be returned. I'll atone for my sins."

The person's lawyer has refuted claims that he turned unreachable after the city filed the lawsuit towards him, saying that police had saved his telephone following voluntary questioning in April and May.

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

Your complete amount was transferred to the person's bank account on April 8.