Man mistakenly despatched 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 money by the western Japan town he resides in, says he gambled it all away on overseas on line casino websites, sources near the matter said Tuesday.

The man is unlikely to have the ability to return the cash transferred to him in error by the city of Abu, Yamaguchi Prefecture, in response to his lawyer, who said a resolution by way of 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)

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

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

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

On April 6, after procedures to switch 100,000 yen in COVID-19 relief cash to each of the 463 low-income households in Abu had been completed, a city official mistakenly submitted a single transfer request to a monetary establishment for 46.3 million yen for the man whose identify was at the top of the listing.

The whole amount was transferred to the person's bank account on April 8.