“My client is in an illegal situation, he has no papers and no bank account,” Alexander Verstrate, a 28-year-old lawyer, told AFP on Friday. “We are looking for documents that can prove his identity. “He will have to contact his family in Algeria.” Verstraete said the winning scratch is currently being held by a court in the city of Bruges after three friends tried unsuccessfully to claim it on behalf of his client. The friends, also from North Africa, were detained overnight by police on suspicion of theft before being released when the real winner appeared with his lawyer. The winning ticket was purchased a few weeks ago at Zeebrugge. The Belgian port is a popular destination for migrants trying to reach England secretly hidden in trucks or containers. Verstrate said his client, who does not intend to seek asylum to stay in Belgium, had received a promise from authorities that he would not be deported until he received his award. The prize is the jackpot of a scratch card that sells for 5 €, which offers “one in 3.69 chances” to win some kind of payment, according to the national lottery website. The retailer who sold the ticket is prohibited from giving such a cash prize. For any prize over € 100,000, the winner must go to the company’s headquarters in Brussels, said Joke Vermoere, a spokesman for the national lottery, where the winner’s three friends went. “The winner did not show up at our venue, we have not seen him, which is currently hampering the award process,” Vermoer said. He did not specify the terms or the nature of the documents required to claim the victory. “It’s in the hands of the Bruges prosecutor,” he said.
