Man mistakenly sent 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 reduction cash by the western Japan city he resides in, says he gambled it all away on abroad on line casino sites, sources near the matter stated Tuesday.

The person is unlikely to be able to return the cash transferred to him in error by the town of Abu, Yamaguchi Prefecture, in response to his lawyer, who said a resolution by means of litigation is being thought-about.

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

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

Final Thursday, the city sued the person for around 51 million yen for the full return of the funds plus legal charges. In accordance with the town, the man 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 became unreachable after the city filed the lawsuit in opposition to him, saying that police had stored his cellphone following voluntary questioning in April and May.

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

Your complete quantity was transferred to the person's checking account on April 8.