Ex-Lottery boss who signed off allegdely fradulent £2.5million jackpot to convicted rapist is still scooping millions in bonuses
Dame Dianne Thompson, who was fooled into approving the payment to Edward Putman in 2009, retired as chief executive of National Lottery operator Camelot in 2014
A FORMER Lottery boss who signed off an allegedly fradulent £2.5million jackpot to a convicted rapist in Britain's biggest ever suspected Lotto scam is still reportedly scooping millions in bonuses.
Dame Dianne Thompson, who was fooled into approving the payment to Edward Putman in 2009, retired as chief executive of National Lottery operator Camelot in 2014 but continues to receive incentive scheme payments, it's claimed.
The 66-year-old was paid £800,000 last year and could be handed up to £1million annually until 2019 as part of a long-term incentive plan, the reports.
In 2014 her pay package comprised of £1million in salary and "other employee benefits" as well as another £1million from the scheme, according to the .
She reportedly took home £600,000 for the first six months in the year to March 2015, plus another £1million from the incentive plan.
Labour’s Deputy Leader Tom Watson told the Mirror: “I find it astonishing that despite the biggest fraud in Lotto history, senior directors are continuing to receive millions in bonus payouts for their performance.
“Camelot and the Gambling Commission must disclose all details of the alleged fraud, including Dianne Thompson’s role in approving the payout, in order to reassure players this will never happen again.”
It comes after Camelot was this month fined £3million for failing to properly probe the claim Putman, 51, had allegedly fiddled his Lotto jackpot win with the help from an "insider".
The Gambling Commission ruled a “deliberately damaged ticket” probably won the payout in 2009.
It is now believed he may have received inside information about an unclaimed win and was able to convince Camelot that he had the winning ticket.
Suspicions over the win were raised in October last year after the death of Giles Knibbs, 38, who worked for lottery operator Camelot’s fraud department.
related stories
Putnam, of Kings Langley, Herts, was jailed in 1993 for twice raping a 17-year-old.
The former bricklayer is thought to have met Mr Knibbs, from nearby St Albans, while doing building work for him.
He was arrested and quizzed 17 days after Mr Knibbs died.
Cops said there was insufficient evidence and the case was dropped in February.
Putman had asked for “no publicity” after his lotto win.
But it became public when he was jailed for nine months in 2012 for fraudulently claiming £13,000 in benefits.
He falsely claimed he was broke — despite splashing out on sports cars and a new £600,000 home.
The commission ruled that Camelot breached terms of its operating licence over control of its databases, the way it investigated prize claims and its processes “around the decision to pay a prize”.
It said while its probe “could not be certain a fraud had taken place, it was more likely than not that a fraudulent prize claim had been made and paid out”.
Camelot apologised for the blunder and said it had tightened up its controls.
Dame Dianne could not be reached for comment.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at [email protected] or call 0207 782 4368