Lottery winners are vulnerable to criminal elements

By: Al-Haj M.S.A. Rahim(Retd) Chief Inspector of Police

The lakhs of the various Lottery Board sweep ticket buyers, many doing so almost quite regularly, must be watching the lottery draws when they are telecast live over the TV right throughout the week between 9 - 9.30 pm, including Poya days, on Rupavahini and the ITN.

The winners of the various sweep tickets, appear before the panel of judges or observers at the lottery draws, individually or with their family members to receive their prizes by cheque.

The ladies and gentlemen conducting the draws ask various questions, including family details such as powlay thorathuru, the number of children in the family, husband's occupation, what they intend doing with such a large amount of money, etc.

In the event a lady sweep winner who has no children, makes her appearance she is questioned about the children in her family and is put into an embarrassing position in the presence of lakhs of people, who watch the lottery draws.

As a retired chief inspector of police, looking at it from a security point of view, I personally feel that it is very inappropriate to question the winners about their family etc., as they are thus exposed to the criminal elements who could perhaps visit their homes and extort large sums of money, threatening them at gun-point or some dangerous weapon, and vanish from the scene after receiving the money.

The party concerned will not dare to step into a police station and make a complaint against them.

I am not for a moment trying to dictate terms to the officials of the Lotteries Board. But I wish to make a suggestion — to call the prize winners of the sweep to collect their prizes (cheques) personally proving their identity.

I make this suggestion in the interest of both the sweep winner and for the healthy functioning of the respective lotteries boards, in the context of today's security situation.