Man mistakenly despatched 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 aid money by the western Japan town he resides in, says he gambled all of it away on overseas casino websites, sources close to the matter mentioned Tuesday.

The person is unlikely to have the ability to return the money transferred to him in error by the town of Abu, Yamaguchi Prefecture, in keeping with his lawyer, who said a decision by way of litigation is being considered.

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

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

Final Thursday, the city sued the man for round 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 will 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 kept his telephone following voluntary questioning in April and Could.

On April 6, after procedures to transfer 100,000 yen in COVID-19 reduction money 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 establishment for 46.3 million yen for the man whose title was at the top of the record.

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