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 town he resides in, says he gambled it all away on overseas on line casino websites, sources near the matter said Tuesday.

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

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

Talking at a press convention Monday, the lawyer mentioned the person had advised him that he had moved the cash out of his account utilizing his smartphone. The lawyer mentioned that the person lives alone and nobody else is believed to be involved in the matter.

Final Thursday, the town sued the person for round 51 million yen for the full return of the funds plus legal fees. In keeping with the town, the man 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 person's lawyer has refuted claims that he grew to become unreachable after the town filed the lawsuit in opposition to him, saying that police had saved his cellphone following voluntary questioning in April and May.

On April 6, after procedures to switch 100,000 yen in COVID-19 reduction cash 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 establishment for 46.3 million yen for the person whose title was at the prime of the checklist.

The complete amount was transferred to the man's checking account on April 8.