Controversial Lottery Draw: Stellio Antonio Acquitted on Appeal

The acquittal of Jean Pierre Stellio Antonio has been upheld on appeal. He can finally move on from a case that has significantly impacted both his family and professional life. On November 21, 2025, the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and confirmed the acquittal previously granted by the Intermediate Court in 2021, concerning him and a certain Teemal Gokool.

In September 2013, he was accused of conspiring to divert the jackpot from the 201st Lottery draw through a false claim of a 'winning' ticket that was supposedly lost. The jackpot amounted to Rs 28 million, and the police investigation aimed to determine whether Teemal Gokool and Jean Pierre Stellio Antonio conspired to allow the former to present himself as the winner by claiming he had lost his ticket. At that time, Jean Pierre Stellio Antonio was the Public Relations Manager at Lottotech.

Judges Karuna Gunesh-Balaghee and Denis Mootoo identified significant flaws in how the case was handled. The document meant to contain the complete sequence of winning numbers was never presented in court. According to the Supreme Court, investigators failed to clearly differentiate between winning and non-winning numbers.

The Court stated that a statement made out of court is only valid against the person making it and cannot be used against a co-defendant. The DPP’s seven points of appeal were deemed "without merit." The acquittal stands confirmed.

Jean Pierre Stellio Antonio welcomed the judgment, stating, "I am an honest person and have always defended good causes. You cannot falsely accuse honest people. I have done nothing wrong." He also commented on how the investigation was conducted, saying, "In this case, the police investigation was poorly executed. There was malice involved. My wife and three children have endured twelve years of legal proceedings."

"I had to resign from my position at Lottotech. One of my daughters had to interrupt her studies. I have forty years of experience in journalism. One should think carefully before maligning others in this way."

Jean Pierre Stellio Antonio was represented by lawyers Dick Ng Sui Wa, Avineshwur Dayal, and Pazhany Rangasamy, while Teemal Gokool was defended by Pratibha Dabee-Bhunjun and Iqbal Dauhoo.