Multiple lotto winner's 5th jackpot disputed

A Calgary-area man who has collected more than $2 million from four lotto wins in five years has been implicated in a convoluted court claim disputing his latest jackpot.

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Seguro Ndabene told CBC News that he hit the jackpot a fifth time on Jan. 16, winning $17 million in the Super 7 draw. But he has not been able to collect that money because of a lottery probe, followed by an ongoing court proceeding.


The Western Canada Lottery Corp. routinely investigates any lotto wins of more than $10,000, which automatically includes winners of multiple major prizes, said Andrea Marantz, a WCLC spokeswoman.


Ndabene has won four jackpots:


Ndabene would not disclose how much he spends on the lottery, but said he buys hundreds of tickets every month from different places.


"I've got no system. I just play in every game. Take a few dollars and go and play or whatever money I take and go and play," he said Monday.


While Ndabene said he buys his own lotto tickets, he's also part of a group that purchases tickets together every week from a kiosk in Airdrie, just north of Calgary.


Lise Blanchette, who owns the kiosk and organizes the group purchases, said she was excited for Ndabene when she heard about his major win in January, even though the group wasn't part of it.


But the WCLC's review of Ngabene's win was further complicated when someone else also claimed the $17 million prize.


Antonin Koprnicky Blanchette's brother-in-law came forward to challenge Ndabene's sole claim to the jackpot, alleging the winning ticket was part of the group's purchases.


The case was so complex, the WCLC closed its investigation and passed the dispute and the money over to the Alberta Court of Queen's Bench.