Man mistakenly despatched 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 money by the western Japan town he resides in, says he gambled all of it away on abroad casino sites, sources close to the matter mentioned 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, based on his lawyer, who mentioned a decision by means of litigation is being thought-about.

Abu Mayor Norihiko Hanada speaks to reporters on May 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 informed him that he had moved the money out of his account using his smartphone. The lawyer stated that the person lives alone and nobody else is believed to be concerned 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. According 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 man's lawyer has refuted claims that he turned unreachable after the town filed the lawsuit against him, saying that police had kept his phone following voluntary questioning in April and Might.

On April 6, after procedures to switch 100,000 yen in COVID-19 aid cash to each of the 463 low-income households in Abu had been completed, a town official mistakenly submitted a single transfer request to a financial institution for 46.3 million yen for the man whose name was at the high of the list.

Your complete amount was transferred to the person's checking account on April 8.