Ex-lottery con-man scoops jackpot

Ogica said he was robbed of his 2001 ticket in his apartment block

A Romanian man who was jailed for two years for claiming he was robbed of a winning million dollar lottery ticket has hit the jackpot for real.

Stancu Ogica scooped one billion leis (25,000 euros, $33,000) - one of Romania's biggest lottery pay-outs.

The 35-year-old was jailed in 2001 by a Bucharest court for attempted fraud and making false statements after claiming his $1m lottery ticket was stolen.

Despite his latest win, Ogica still insists he won in 2001 too.

He has appealed to the government to re-examine his case, saying evidence went missing before his trial, the Associated Press reported.

"Last time luck was on my side but I couldn't enjoy it," he told Realitatea TV.

He reportedly said he was attacked and robbed of his winning lottery ticket in the lobby of his apartment building in the capital, Bucharest, in 2001.

AP said he passed a lie detector test and brought forward several witnesses who claimed to have seen the ticket.

But police reportedly became sceptical because of his past record of insurance fraud and financial problems.

Ogica continued to play the lottery after he was released from prison in early 2003.

"This time I wrote my name and address on the tickets so there would be no confusion," he was quoted by the AFP news agency as saying. "I knew I was going to win".