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 money by the western Japan town he resides in, says he gambled all of it away on abroad on line casino sites, 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 said a decision by means of litigation is being thought-about.

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 convention Monday, the lawyer stated the man had informed him that he had moved the money out of his account using his smartphone. The lawyer said that the man lives alone and nobody else is believed to be concerned in the matter.

Final Thursday, the city sued the person for around 51 million yen for the complete return of the funds plus legal charges. According to the city, 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 became unreachable after the city filed the lawsuit towards him, saying that police had kept his phone following voluntary questioning in April and Could.

On April 6, after procedures to switch 100,000 yen in COVID-19 aid money to every of the 463 low-income households in Abu had been accomplished, a city official mistakenly submitted a single transfer request to a financial institution for 46.3 million yen for the man whose name was at the top of the checklist.

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