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 money by the western Japan city he resides in, says he gambled all of it away on abroad on line casino sites, sources near the matter stated Tuesday.

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

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

Speaking at a press conference Monday, the lawyer stated the man had told him that he had moved the cash out of his account using his smartphone. The lawyer said that the person lives alone and nobody else is believed to be concerned in the matter.

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

The man's lawyer has refuted claims that he grew to become unreachable after the town filed the lawsuit against him, saying that police had saved his telephone following voluntary questioning in April and Could.

On April 6, after procedures to transfer 100,000 yen in COVID-19 relief cash to every of the 463 low-income households in Abu had been completed, a town official mistakenly submitted a single transfer request to a financial institution for 46.3 million yen for the man whose title was on the top of the listing.

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