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 reduction money by the western Japan city he resides in, says he gambled it all away on abroad on line casino websites, sources near the matter mentioned Tuesday.

The person is unlikely to have the ability to return the money transferred to him in error by the city of Abu, Yamaguchi Prefecture, based on his lawyer, who mentioned a resolution via litigation is being considered.

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

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

Last Thursday, the city sued the man for round 51 million yen for the total return of the funds plus authorized charges. In response to the town, the person 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 city filed the lawsuit against him, saying that police had stored his phone following voluntary questioning in April and Could.

On April 6, after procedures to switch 100,000 yen in COVID-19 relief 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 institution for 46.3 million yen for the person whose title was at the prime of the list.

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