Man mistakenly despatched 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 city he resides in, says he gambled all of it away on overseas on line casino websites, sources near the matter stated 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 response to his lawyer, who stated a resolution by means of litigation is being thought-about.

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

Talking at a press convention Monday, the lawyer stated the man had informed him that he had moved the cash out of his account utilizing his smartphone. The lawyer said that the person lives alone and nobody else is believed to be involved within the matter.

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

The person's lawyer has refuted claims that he became unreachable after the town filed the lawsuit against him, saying that police had stored his phone following voluntary questioning in April and Might.

On April 6, after procedures to transfer 100,000 yen in COVID-19 relief cash to every of the 463 low-income households in Abu had been completed, a town official mistakenly submitted a single transfer request to a monetary institution for 46.3 million yen for the person whose title was on the high of the record.

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