A Chilean office assistant has won a legal battle allowing him to keep a payment 300 times his usual salary after it was mistakenly transferred to him. The employee, who worked for Dan Consorcio Industrial de Alimentos de Chile, normally earned £386 a month, but in May 2022, he received £127,000 in error, according to Metro.
Initially, the company demanded the employee return the money. However, just three days after receiving the unexpected payment, he resigned, triggering a legal fight that lasted over three years.
Court Rules Payment Not Theft
Prosecutors in Santiago accused the former employee of theft, but the judge dismissed the case. The ruling stated the incident was an “unauthorised collection” rather than theft, meaning it could not be prosecuted as a criminal matter. This decision left the company without a clear way to demand repayment.
Despite the court’s ruling, the company remains determined to recover the funds. In a statement issued to Diario Financiero, Dan Consorcio Industrial de Alimentos said, “We will take all possible legal steps, particularly an application for annulment, to have the ruling reviewed.” Executives are reportedly exploring further legal options, even though the court’s interpretation makes recovery far more complicated.