Kallottee’s Loto ticket had got drenched and was further damaged when he dried it using an iron, which erased all numbers. Boolell said that there was enough evidence to conclude that Kallootee was the genuine winner of the National Lottery draw of October 1.
He based his statement on the investigation carried out by the Central Criminal Investigation Division (CCID). Detectives had sent the ticket to the Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) for analysis, which revealed that the numbers present on the ticket were correct.
According to a police spokesperson, in view of the facts revealed by the investigation and the advice of the DPP, there is no reason as to why Kallootee should be deprived of the prize money. “He should be given the prize,” he added. The police was prepared for any scenario.
Had the organiser of the draw decided to not award the winner, the police would have started an enquiry for an alleged offence for failing to pay winning prize in breach of section 144 of the Gambling Regulatory Authority. It could even have entailed court action against Lottotech, a police source said.