Sunday People

PLOTTERY He was nice. No one understood how he got involved with Putman

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whistleblo­wer hass r evealed t he moment he discovered his old colleague had taken his own life.e. He said: “We worked in the same ame office. He was a nice guy, he was quite e personable and he was one of the smiley people.

“We were shocked. No one could understand how someone like Giles got involved with someone like Putman.

“Whether he had financial problems or not I have no idea. He had left Camelot when he committed suicide but it was before anyone k knew about the f r aud or t he investigat­ion. “But when Giles killed hims self i t was all ve very quiet. It was a so sombre mood in the office office. “Everyone in Camelot has really close personal friendship­s and relationsh­ips. “Nobody at that point knew what Giles had done. “It was only when the investigat­ion started that people found out. “Even then Camelot tried to keep it under wraps. “We were quizzed but it was all internal investigat­ors, even if they used the Gambling Commission. Nobody was ever discipline­d.”

Even though Knibbs had perfectly replicated the winning ticket, he still had a string of loopholes to jump through before the prize was paid out.

Our i nsider has revealed someone would have had to sign the ticket off before the payout was made.

Rapist

He said: “Knibbs would have had to get it validate by the Prize Payout department.”

Putman had insisted on remaining anonymous after scooping the 2009 prize. But he was unmasked three years later when he was jailed for continuing to claim welfare benefits, and exposed as a convicted rapist.

The testimony of Putman’s expal Stephen Warner sparked a fresh probe by cops who were dueue to question four new witnesses.

In the wake of a Gambling ng Commission probe last year,ar, Camelot was fined £3million by watchdogs for failing to properlyrl­y investigat­e the claim.

A Hertfordsh­ire Constabula­ry ary spokeswoma­n said: “The case is currently being reviewed by policece so we cannot make any comment at this stage.”

A Camelot spokesman saidd they were “unable to confirm or deny speculatio­n about the case”. e”.

 ??  ?? NUMBERS UP: A ticket for Lottery BIG PROBE: Watford HQ of Camelot POT LUCK: Jane lived the high life
NUMBERS UP: A ticket for Lottery BIG PROBE: Watford HQ of Camelot POT LUCK: Jane lived the high life
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