Lottery scandal rocks Colombia
The Attorney General’s Office has decided to initiate a preliminary investigation to determine whether there were irregularities in a recent drawing of the Medellín Lottery. The issue came to light when it was reported that the grand prize was won by Luisa Jaramillo, the wife of the former commercial manager of the Medellín Lottery, and former national deputy Rubén Callejas.
Colombian press reported that an investigation has been opened concerning the drawing ##4788 of the lottery of the Antioquia capital. Allegations of fraud are being examined by the disciplinary body.
The case has reached President Gustavo Petro. The Colombian president, through his personal account on X (formerly Twitter), referred to the scandal shaking the lottery. “Is this true? Disciplinary and penal bodies must provide us with information,” posted Petro.
Additionally, it had been revealed on social media that the grand prize was 16 billion pesos—almost four million dollars.
For its part, the National Council of Games of Luck and Chance (CNJSA) will conduct a “special audit” of the lottery draw. Officials from the Technical Secretariat of the CNJSA, led by the Vice President of Organizational Development and Technical Secretary of the CNJSA, Roberto Conde Romero, with authorization from the president of Coljuegos, Marco Emilio Hincapié Ramírez, will travel to the city of Medellín to provide clarity to the public about the conditions under which this draw was held they explained.
However, Jaramillo spoke out in a video on her Instagram account, saying that “it wasn’t the jackpot, it was a small one, and it was completely legal.” Jaramillo said that the prize she took home was much smaller – 664 million pesos after tax deductions.
She also stated that her husband “resigned immediately so that the Lottery could conduct all internal investigations without a shadow of a doubt. “
