Branson snubs lottery bribes inquiry

REBECCA FOWLER

Richard Branson, the chairman of Virgin, has refused to cooperate with an investigation into GTech, the American company that has a stake in the running of the British lottery, because he claims it will not be independent.

Mr Branson, who last month accused GTech of offering him a bribe to drop out of the race to run the lottery, said the terms of reference for the investigation set up by Oflot, the national lottery watchdog, were unsatisfactory.

His refusal is expected to embarrass lottery chiefs, following the lottery's most successful week in which 128 million tickets were sold in a frenzy for the record pounds 42m jackpot.

The second of three winners came forward yesterday afternoon to claim their pounds 14m share, and the Sun newspaper emerged as the winner of pounds 104,746.

The third winning jackpot ticket has still not been presented to officials. Camelot, the lottery operator, said it is not unusual for jackpot winners to bide their time, although whoever it is will be losing pounds 2,000 in interest a day - which instead goes to the good causes fund.

Mr Branson said he objected to the appointment of Anne Rafferty QC, chairman of the Criminal Bar Association, to head the inquiry, not because he doubted her integrity but because he was concerned it was not an independent appointment.

She was chosen by Peter Davis, the head of Oflot who fought off calls for his resignation in December after he admitted accepting free flights from GTech.

"We would have been happy to co-operate with a genuinely independent inquiry, not only on the bribery allegations but also the way GTech was vetted and has been monitored, but we have to believe the inquiry would be open with the right to cross-examine witnesses," Mr Branson said.

In a letter to Mr Davis, Mr Branson said he would rather pursue his case in the courts. He has issued a writ against GTech and Guy Snowden, chairman of the company, who he claims offered him an inducement, for claiming his allegations of bribery made in a Panorama interview are untrue.