Man mistakenly sent 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 reduction cash by the western Japan city he resides in, says he gambled all of it away on abroad casino sites, sources close to the matter said Tuesday.

The man is unlikely to have the ability to return the cash transferred to him in error by the city of Abu, Yamaguchi Prefecture, in keeping with his lawyer, who mentioned a decision by means of litigation is being considered.

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

Talking 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 mentioned that the man lives alone and no one else is believed to be involved in the matter.

Last Thursday, the town sued the man for round 51 million yen for the full return of the funds plus legal charges. In line with the town, 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 telephone following voluntary questioning in April and Might.

On April 6, after procedures to transfer 100,000 yen in COVID-19 reduction 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 man whose identify was on the high of the listing.

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