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 aid 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 man is unlikely to have the ability to return the cash transferred to him in error by the town of Abu, Yamaguchi Prefecture, based on his lawyer, who mentioned a resolution by means of litigation is being thought of.

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

Speaking at a press conference Monday, the lawyer stated the person had told him that he had moved the money out of his account using his smartphone. The lawyer said that the person lives alone and no one else is believed to be concerned in the matter.

Final Thursday, the town sued the man for around 51 million yen for the complete return of the funds plus authorized charges. In line with the town, 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 person's lawyer has refuted claims that he turned unreachable after the city filed the lawsuit against him, saying that police had saved his cellphone 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 financial establishment for 46.3 million yen for the man whose title was at the top of the checklist.

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