Man mistakenly despatched 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 cash by the western Japan town he resides in, says he gambled it all away on abroad on line casino websites, sources close to the matter said 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, according to his lawyer, who mentioned a resolution via litigation is being thought of.

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

Speaking at a press convention Monday, the lawyer mentioned the man had instructed him that he had moved the money out of his account using his smartphone. The lawyer stated that the man lives alone and no one else is believed to be involved within the matter.

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

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

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 completed, a town official mistakenly submitted a single switch request to a monetary institution for 46.3 million yen for the man whose identify was on the prime of the record.

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