Johannesburg - Five years after winning R10.4 million in the lottery, a former policeman is facing criminal charges for allegedly stealing R250, the Sunday Times reports.
Dayalin Maslamoney, 39, would appear in the Pietermaritzburg District Court on Tuesday on two counts of theft under false pretences and one of impersonating a police officer.
He won the lotto in April 2009 with a R50 QuickPick ticket. In March last year Maslamoney's divorce to his wife, Reena Pillay, was finalised. She got R2.5 million, half of what was in their joint account.
“He invested his portion of the estate in a chicken franchise [and] lost everything when he didn't abide by the rules of the franchise,” his attorney Siva Chetty was quoted as saying.
“He just couldn't handle the money.”
Maslamoney was now penniless and sharing a tiny flat with two siblings in Pietermaritzburg, according to Chetty.
He appeared in the same court with his co-accused Zaheer Khan on February 4. Testifying in support of his bail application Maslamoney told the court he lived in a house owned by his ex-wife and earned R20,000 a month working in two video rental shops she owned. He was released on bail of R2000.
The two men allegedly stormed into a house, wearing civilian clothes, produced a name badge bearing police insignia and demanded money, the Sunday Times reported. - Sapa