On March 31, the news made the rounds of the press: a 28-year-old Algerian migrant won the sum of 250,000 euros thanks to a national lottery scratch ticket. In transit through Zeebrugge before reaching Great Britain, he had bought this ticket worth five euros in a local Spar supermarket. If luck finally seemed to smile on the young Algerian, things took a funny turn. Indeed, he is fighting today to obtain his prize.
Alexander Verstraete, the young man’s lawyer, told AFP that the winning ticket was in the hands of justice in Bruges. In fact, in an illegal situation, the lucky winner therefore asked friends to recover the money for him, but in vain, since the latter were suspected of theft and even had to spend a night in police custody during the week. last. An investigation has been opened to find the owner of the winning ticket. The latter was thus able to exonerate his friends, but the situation is not yet won.
“My client is in an illegal situation, he has no papers and does not have a bank account either. NWe are looking for these documents which will prove his identity, he will have to contact his family in Algeria”, a explicit Alexander Verstraete.
At first, the 28-year-old Algerian had no intention of seeking asylum in Belgium, the Belgian authorities then promised not to deport him before he could collect his prize. However, he seems to have changed his mind today. “I’m going to stay in Belgium and try to make a living there.” he told our colleagues from Het Laatste Nieuws. “I love Brussels. But for now, I live on the street. I have no roof over my head and sometimes I sleep with friends. When I have the money, I want to buy an apartment. And maybe a car. Shop and trade. And of course, I will look for a wife. But I don’t want to find one with my money, but with my heart”, he continued.