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 reduction money by the western Japan city he resides in, says he gambled all of it away on overseas on line casino sites, sources close to the matter said Tuesday.

The person is unlikely to have the ability to return the cash transferred to him in error by the city of Abu, Yamaguchi Prefecture, in accordance with his lawyer, who stated a resolution via litigation is being thought-about.

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

Speaking at a press convention Monday, the lawyer mentioned the man had instructed 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.

Last Thursday, the city sued the person for round 51 million yen for the total return of the funds plus legal fees. According to the city, the person 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 became unreachable after the city filed the lawsuit towards him, saying that police had saved his cellphone following voluntary questioning in April and Might.

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 switch request to a financial establishment for 46.3 million yen for the person whose name was on the prime of the listing.

The entire amount was transferred to the person's checking account on April 8.