Man mistakenly sent 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 relief cash by the western Japan city he resides in, says he gambled it all away on abroad on line casino sites, sources near the matter said Tuesday.

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

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

Talking at a press convention Monday, the lawyer mentioned the person had told him that he had moved the money out of his account using his smartphone. The lawyer said that the person lives alone and nobody else is believed to be involved within the matter.

Final Thursday, the city sued the man for round 51 million yen for the full return of the funds plus legal charges. In response to the city, the man had refused to return the money, saying it was "moved from my account and cannot be returned. I'll atone for my sins."

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

On April 6, after procedures to switch 100,000 yen in COVID-19 aid money to each 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 person whose title was at the high of the listing.

All the amount was transferred to the person's bank account on April 8.