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 money by the western Japan city he resides in, says he gambled it all away on overseas casino websites, 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 town of Abu, Yamaguchi Prefecture, in response to his lawyer, who said a decision by way of litigation is being considered.

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

Speaking at a press conference Monday, the lawyer mentioned the man had told him that he had moved the cash out of his account utilizing his smartphone. The lawyer stated that the man lives alone and nobody else is believed to be involved within the matter.

Final Thursday, the city sued the man for round 51 million yen for the full return of the funds plus authorized fees. In line with the town, the person had refused to return the money, 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 turned unreachable after the city filed the lawsuit towards him, saying that police had saved his cellphone following voluntary questioning in April and Could.

On April 6, after procedures to switch 100,000 yen in COVID-19 reduction money to every of the 463 low-income households in Abu had been completed, a city official mistakenly submitted a single switch request to a monetary institution for 46.3 million yen for the person whose name was at the high of the record.

Your complete quantity was transferred to the man's checking account on April 8.