
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, March 8, 1992                   TAG: 9203080162
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: D-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: The Washington Post
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

MYSTERIOUS LOTTERY FIGURE DETAILS HIS ROLE IN AUSTRALIAN SCHEME

The Illinois businessman who spearheaded the purchase of more than 5 million Virginia Lottery tickets revealed his connections Saturday with the Australian investment group that secured the winning ticket for the $27 million jackpot.

Anithalee Alex, president of a Teutopolis, Ill., oil company, said that he organized the ticket purchase as an employee of Pacific Financial Resources, an Australian company hired by the International Lotto Fund, an Australian investment group. Pacific Financial Resources is controlled by Australian numbers whiz Stephan Mandel, who first drew publicity by cornering all the numbers in a 1986 Sydney lottery.

"It was very exciting and happy for everybody involved," Alex said in a telephone interview. In a prepared statement, he also said that he has avoided the news media since the Feb. 15 drawing because of "a concern for the health and safety of our associates - who at times were carrying or working with significant amounts of money or tickets."

Both the Australian Securities Commission and the FBI are investigating the International Lotto Fund, but Alex said he has not been approached by the FBI.

"Neither my company nor I have engaged in any illegal or improper conduct in connection with the Virginia Lottery," Alex said in the statement, which referred further questions to a Richmond lawyer.

The FBI investigation is focusing on the source of the money used to buy the tickets. The Australian Securities Commission is trying to determine whether the International Lotto Fund failed to tell its 2,500 investors, who paid a minimum of $4,000 apiece, of the risks and tax liabilities involved in trying to corner international lotteries, sources said.

"I am looking forward to . . . resuming my normal, quiet life with my family and friends," said Alex, who saw his name and earlier business woes plastered across American newspapers. "The publicity was unfortunate."

by CNB