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 cash by the western Japan town he resides in, says he gambled all of it away on overseas casino websites, sources near the matter said Tuesday.

The man is unlikely to have the ability to return the cash transferred to him in error by the town of Abu, Yamaguchi Prefecture, in response to his lawyer, who mentioned a decision through litigation is being considered.

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

Talking at a press conference Monday, the lawyer stated the man had instructed him that he had moved the cash out of his account utilizing his smartphone. The lawyer stated that the man lives alone and no one else is believed to be concerned within the matter.

Final Thursday, the city sued the person for around 51 million yen for the full return of the funds plus authorized charges. In keeping with 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 became unreachable after the town filed the lawsuit towards him, saying that police had kept his phone following voluntary questioning in April and Might.

On April 6, after procedures to switch 100,000 yen in COVID-19 reduction cash 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 institution for 46.3 million yen for the man whose identify was at the top of the list.

Your entire quantity was transferred to the person's bank account on April 8.