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 money by the western Japan town he resides in, says he gambled it all away on abroad on line casino sites, sources near 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, based on his lawyer, who mentioned a resolution by means of litigation is being considered.

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

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

Final Thursday, the town sued the person for round 51 million yen for the total return of the funds plus legal charges. Based on the city, the man 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 grew to become unreachable after the city filed the lawsuit against him, saying that police had saved his telephone following voluntary questioning in April and Might.

On April 6, after procedures to transfer 100,000 yen in COVID-19 aid cash to each of the 463 low-income households in Abu had been completed, a town official mistakenly submitted a single switch request to a monetary institution for 46.3 million yen for the person whose name was at the top of the list.

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