Algerian Man Struggling to Receive €250,000 Scratchcard win

An Algerian began celebrating after winning €250,000 on a scratchcard. However, he hasn’t got the documentation needed to claim his fantastic prize.

Long trip to Belgium

The unnamed 28-year-old winner left Algeria by boat four months ago and arrived in Spain. He then walked through Spain and France before arriving in Belgium. His next move was scheduled to be to go to the UK but says he wishes to stay in Belgium.

That will go a lot smoother if he can get his hands on this €250,000 win. Without the necessary papers to open a bank account, he cannot yet claim his winnings as they are too large to be paid out in cash.

Knowing that he could not be given the prize himself, he asked a friend to help him. He does have the required documents but ran into trouble when trying to claim the winnings. Officials at the lottery headquarters in Brussels had him and two friends arrested on suspicion of theft.  A night at the local police station followed before the real winner explained what had happened.

Papers on the way?

He is now receiving help from a lawyer called Alexander Verstraete. The hope is that after contacting his family back in Algeria, the necessary papers will be received and the scratchcard winnings paid out.

One good piece of news is that the authorities have said he won’t be deported from Belgium before receiving his winnings. If allowed to stay in the country, he plans on using his scratchcard winnings to buy a new house and possibly a car.

He added: “I will also look for a wife. Still, I am not going to find one with my money, but with my heart.

His winning scratchcard is at present being kept at public prosecutor’s office that is in Bruges. The court is not too far away from the port of Zeebrugge where the ticket was bought. Zeebrugge has become a place that many refugees flee to as they look for a fresh start in a new country.

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