Turkish main opposition party deputy claims rigging at national lottery

ANKARA

DHA Photo

Main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) deputy Atilla Kart, citing a note from a former staff member, has claimed large-scale rigging was in action at Milli Piyango, Turkey’s now-privatized national lottery, providing large amounts of money to the employees.

The “confession” confirms the allegations made in a 2012 parliamentary question he raised, Kart said Feb. 6.

“The draws at the Milli Piyango Directorate are shady, the staff members possess millions of Turkish Liras of wealth, but this is hidden,” Kart told Hürriyet.

A former employee contacted him using the nickname “I am regretful,” and said he was living an easy life abroad, as he made benefits from the organization inside the lottery body, according to Kart.  
“We were very worried when Mr. Atilla said there was rigging at the lottery because we feared we would be caught,” the deputy quoted him as saying.

It was not difficult to manipulate the lucky numbers, and it became even easier when state-run TRT stopped broadcasting the draws, Kart said, again citing the “confessor.”

The TRT previously received a noteworthy share in lottery revenues.

A private channel then requested to broadcast the draws but was refused, Kart also said.
Kart also said there was a time gap between the draw and the official announcement on the lottery’s website, which is at 9:30 p.m., saying that this provided the riggers time to buy the right tickets.

Kart called on the government to make a public announcement on the issue.

Turkey’s Supreme Board of Privatization approved the national lottery’s privatization of its operating rights to Net Şans-Hitay consortium for up to 10 years, according to a statement issued in the Official Gazette on Aug. 29, 2014.

Turkey’s national lottery reached over 2.2 billion liras in sales revenue from its online and retail products in 2012.