Man arrested in Hong Kong after refusing to share a R$20 million lottery prize.
A 36-year-old man was arrested in Hong Kong on suspicion of refusing to share with 14 colleagues the prize of approximately HK$30 million (R$20 million) won by a group in the Mark Six lottery. The arrest took place this Friday (September 11).
According to Globo Online, the group of 15 people had pooled their money to collectively buy the winning ticket. The man arrested was responsible for both purchasing the ticket and managing the account designated to receive the prize. After the result, he allegedly informed his colleagues that he would keep the entire amount.
Some members of the group worked at the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department of Hong Kong (FEHD). On Wednesday (September 9th), the colleagues met in the Aberdeen neighborhood to try to resolve the impasse. The conversation lasted about 30 minutes, but the man maintained his decision not to share the prize.
Police report and investigation
A 53-year-old colleague contacted the police at 22:06 p.m. that same day, concerned that the suspect might disappear with the money. The man had also been absent from work for five consecutive days. Police confirmed the arrest on suspicion of theft, with the investigation being conducted by agents from the Western district.
FEHD confirmed it was aware of the case and stated it would cooperate with authorities. In a statement, a department spokesperson declared that “as the police investigation is ongoing, it would not be appropriate for the department to comment on the details at this time.”
The raffle
The case is linked to the special Mark Six 50th Anniversary Snowball draw, held on September 5th by the Hong Kong Jockey Club. The contest distributed a record prize of HK$228 million. There were 3,5 winning tickets in the main prize category, with HK$63,3 million allocated to each winning ticket, according to the organization. The HK$30 million figure mentioned by the police corresponds to the amount the group of colleagues would have been entitled to.
