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 reduction cash 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 said Tuesday.

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

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

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

Final Thursday, the town sued the man for around 51 million yen for the full return of the funds plus authorized fees. In accordance with the town, the person had refused to return the cash, 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 became unreachable after the town filed the lawsuit towards him, saying that police had kept his telephone following voluntary questioning in April and May.

On April 6, after procedures to switch 100,000 yen in COVID-19 relief 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 monetary establishment for 46.3 million yen for the man whose name was on the high of the record.

All the amount was transferred to the person's bank account on April 8.