A western Japanese town that mistakenly sent ¥46.3 million in COVID-19 relief money to a resident has recovered about ¥43 million, or about 90% of it, the town's mayor said Tuesday.
The 24-year-old resident, Sho Taguchi, has been arrested for alleged computer fraud after failing to return the money to the town of Abu, in Yamaguchi Prefecture, telling his lawyer he had spent it all on online casinos overseas.
Of the total amount the town has recovered so far, over ¥35 million was returned by a domestic payment processing agent, according to a source familiar with the case.