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 relief cash by the western Japan city he resides in, says he gambled it all away on overseas on line casino sites, sources near the matter said 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 response to his lawyer, who said a resolution by way of litigation is being thought of.

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

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

Last Thursday, the city sued the person for round 51 million yen for the full return of the funds plus authorized charges. Based on the town, the man had refused to return the money, 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 town filed the lawsuit towards him, saying that police had kept his telephone following voluntary questioning in April and Could.

On April 6, after procedures to switch 100,000 yen in COVID-19 aid money 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 name was at the top of the list.

Your entire quantity was transferred to the man's bank account on April 8.