As if the story of convicted rapist and lottery winner, Edward Putman, hasn't already left a sour taste in the mouths of UK National Lottery operators, news has surfaced that Camelot may have been swindled out of £2.5million. As a result, the Camelot chiefs are looking to investigate the claim and take back the prize which was won back in 2009.
To make matters worse, the Camelot group was recently punished with a £3 million fine issued by the Gambling Commission which claimed that the pay-out was made under undesirable conditions.
A spokesperson of the Camelot Group reacted with this statement: “The Gambling Commission said it wasn’t 100% proven but on the balance of probabilities, it was likely to have been a fraudulent claim. If that’s the case and that can be proven, we’d be the victims of a fraud and we would very much like to get that money back.”
Bill Waddington, a retired chairman of the Criminal Law Solicitors' Association had this to say: “The fact that the police have decided not to bring charges doesn’t prevent Camelot from taking some sort of civil action to recover the money."
“I don’t know why the police decided they were satisfied there was no criminal offense they could bring, but Camelot could sue the guy on the basis that he made a dubious or fraudulent claim, as according to the Gambling Commission," added Waddington. “The standard of proof in a criminal prosecution is beyond reasonable doubt. A civil case is based on the balance of probabilities, which means if you are 51% sure, that will do. The Gambling Commission comment of ‘more likely than not’ would pass that test.”
Ties On The Inside
An added problem for the Camelot Group would be the public embarrassment it would need to endure should they lose the case. Moreover, claims that Putman may have had a man on the inside providing him with information would add unnecessary shame to the already tarnished image of the group.
One of those fears are allegations that former Camelot IT expert for the group's fraud detection department, Giles Knibbs, was that very man on the inside who was said to have aided Putman's fraudulent win. The two had allegedly conspired to go at it together with each participant due their equal share of the winnings.
However, the due had a spat and were no longer on speaking terms. Before Knibbs was due for his court appearance, he took his own life.