Melbourne man claims friend dudded him out of lotto millions

A WANNABE millionaire has taken his mate to court, accusing him of dudding him out of millions of dollars in lotto winnings.

A WANNABE millionaire who thinks his best friend stole his winning lotto ticket is demanding Tattersalls release footage from the newsagency where he bought it.

Preston plasterer Ismet Porcic believes he is one of six punters who won $3.3 million on September 20, 2014, but claims friend Gabriel Zacharia swiped the crucial docket.

“I firmly believe that the Ticket was stolen by Gabriel and that he or an associate of his used the Ticket to claim the winnings from Tatts,” Mr Porcic claims in court documents.

The allegations have been aired in a Supreme Court affidavit in which Mr Porcic urges Tattersalls to provide access to CCTV vision he hopes will prove his stake in the $20 million draw.

Mr Porcic claims he bought a packet of cigarettes and a lottery ticket from Essendon Roundabout Newsagency between 5pm and 7.30pm on the night of the Tattslotto draw.

He then walked to the A1 Bakery, part-owned by Mr Zacharia, who he claims then asked him to help with renovations at the premises.

“I remember placing the ticket on the table in Gabriel’s office within the bakery next to my pack of cigarettes,” Mr Porcic claims.

He said he heard on the news the following night one of the winners bought the ticket from the same newsagency, prompting him to search for the item.

Ismet Porcic.

Believing he had left the docket at the bakery, he claims he asked Mr Zacharia to review the security footage.

“Gabriel told me that the security camera in his office was not working that evening. At this point, I started to become suspicious of Gabriel,” Mr Porcic claims.

He says a further news item stated the ticket was of the same type he bought and the winner was “a man in his 30s.”

“Gabriel is around the same age,” he claims.

Mr Porcic claims after submitting a form to Tattersalls the gaming giant replied, saying that, according to security footage at the newsagency, he wasn’t the buyer and rightful owner of the ticket.

He is now seeking access to the footage, the name of person who claimed the ticket, as well as the winning ticket itself, so that a fingerprint analysis can be done.

Tattersalls spokeswoman Elissa Lewis said the company was unable to comment because of legal proceedings but added Tattersalls would abide by any subsequent court order.

The Herald Sun is seeking comment from Mr Zacharia.

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Originally published as Melbourne man claims friend dudded him out of lotto millions