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 aid money by the western Japan city he resides in, says he gambled all of it away on abroad on line casino websites, sources near the matter stated Tuesday.

The person is unlikely to have the ability to return the cash transferred to him in error by the city of Abu, Yamaguchi Prefecture, in accordance with his lawyer, who said a resolution via litigation is being considered.

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

Talking at a press convention Monday, the lawyer mentioned the person had informed him that he had moved the cash out of his account using his smartphone. The lawyer said that the man lives alone and nobody else is believed to be involved within the matter.

Final Thursday, the town sued the man for round 51 million yen for the full return of the funds plus legal fees. Based on the city, the man had refused to return the cash, saying it was "moved from my account and cannot be returned. I'll atone for my sins."

The man's lawyer has refuted claims that he grew to become unreachable after the town filed the lawsuit in opposition to him, saying that police had saved 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 each of the 463 low-income households in Abu had been accomplished, a city official mistakenly submitted a single transfer request to a financial establishment for 46.3 million yen for the man whose identify was on the top of the listing.

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