Man mistakenly sent 46.3 mil. yen in COVID funds gambles it all away

A 24-year-old man mistakenly sent 46.3 million yen ($360,000) in COVID-19 relief money by the western Japan town he resides in, says he gambled it all away on overseas on line casino websites, sources close to the matter said Tuesday.

The person is unlikely to be able to return the money transferred to him in error by the town of Abu, Yamaguchi Prefecture, in line with his lawyer, who mentioned a decision by means of litigation is being thought of.

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

Talking at a press convention Monday, the lawyer said the man had told him that he had moved the money out of his account using his smartphone. The lawyer stated that the person lives alone and nobody else is believed to be concerned in the matter.

Final Thursday, the city sued the person for round 51 million yen for the complete return of the funds plus legal charges. In line with the city, the person had refused to return the money, saying it was "moved from my account and can't be returned. I will atone for my sins."

The man's lawyer has refuted claims that he grew to become unreachable after the city filed the lawsuit in opposition to him, saying that police had saved his cellphone following voluntary questioning in April and May.

On April 6, after procedures to switch 100,000 yen in COVID-19 aid cash to every of the 463 low-income households in Abu had been completed, a town official mistakenly submitted a single transfer request to a monetary establishment for 46.3 million yen for the man whose identify was at the prime of the checklist.

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