Man gambles away Covid aid

– A 24-year-old Japanese man given $360 000 (R5.8 million) in Covid aid by mistake has been arrested after saying he gambled away the money online, police said yesterday.

Local authorities have become increasingly desperate to get the money back from the man, who has said he will return the cash “even if it’s going to be bit by bit”.

The blunder by authorities in the remote town of Abu and the man’s failure to pay them back has sparked outrage in Japan, with talk shows discussing the intricacies of his financial situation.

He was transferred the 46.3 million yen lump sum in error last month by officials who were organising cash handouts for low-income residents affected by the pandemic.

After visits, calls and letters failed to convince the man, authorities filed a lawsuit last week in an attempt to get it back. The man is now in custody after being arrested “on suspicion of violating computer fraud laws”, the police said. –