Man mistakenly sent 46.3 mil. yen in COVID funds gambles all of it away

A 24-year-old man mistakenly sent 46.3 million yen ($360,000) in COVID-19 aid money by the western Japan town he resides in, says he gambled all of it away on overseas on line casino websites, sources near the matter said Tuesday.

The man is unlikely to be able to return the money transferred to him in error by the city of Abu, Yamaguchi Prefecture, in accordance with his lawyer, who said a decision via 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 advised 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 in the matter.

Final Thursday, the city sued the man for around 51 million yen for the complete return of the funds plus authorized fees. In keeping with the city, the man had refused to return the money, saying it was "moved from my account and can't be returned. I'll atone for my sins."

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

On April 6, after procedures to transfer 100,000 yen in COVID-19 aid cash to every 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 name was on the prime of the list.

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