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 abroad casino sites, sources near the matter mentioned Tuesday.

The person is unlikely to have the ability to return the cash 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-about.

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

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

Final Thursday, the city sued the person for round 51 million yen for the complete return of the funds plus authorized fees. According to the town, the man had refused to return the money, saying it was "moved from my account and cannot 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 against him, saying that police had kept his cellphone following voluntary questioning in April and Might.

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 city official mistakenly submitted a single switch request to a monetary institution for 46.3 million yen for the man whose identify was at the top of the list.

All the quantity was transferred to the man's checking account on April 8.