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 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 stated 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, in line with his lawyer, who said a resolution by way of litigation is being thought-about.

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

Speaking at a press convention Monday, the lawyer mentioned the man had advised him that he had moved the money out of his account using his smartphone. The lawyer said that the person lives alone and no one 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 legal charges. In response to 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 grew to become unreachable after the town filed the lawsuit in opposition to him, saying that police had stored his telephone following voluntary questioning in April and Might.

On April 6, after procedures to transfer 100,000 yen in COVID-19 relief money to every of the 463 low-income households in Abu had been accomplished, a town official mistakenly submitted a single transfer request to a financial establishment for 46.3 million yen for the person whose name was at the high of the listing.

Your entire amount was transferred to the man's bank account on April 8.