Man mistakenly despatched 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 money by the western Japan city he resides in, says he gambled it all away on overseas casino websites, sources close to the matter mentioned Tuesday.

The man is unlikely to have the ability to return the money transferred to him in error by the city of Abu, Yamaguchi Prefecture, in response to his lawyer, who said a decision by litigation is being thought-about.

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

Speaking at a press conference Monday, the lawyer stated the person had advised 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 involved within the matter.

Last Thursday, the town sued the man for around 51 million yen for the total return of the funds plus authorized fees. According to the town, the man had refused to return the money, saying it was "moved from my account and can't be returned. I'll atone for my sins."

The person's lawyer has refuted claims that he turned unreachable after the town filed the lawsuit in opposition to him, saying that police had stored his cellphone following voluntary questioning in April and Might.

On April 6, after procedures to transfer 100,000 yen in COVID-19 aid money 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 person whose name was on the prime of the checklist.

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