Former CEO of The Weather Lottery (TWL) Keith Milhench, has been charged by police with seven counts of fraud and four charges of theft £80,000 against his former company. It is believed by authorities that Milhench acted with another employee, Miss Amie Pickersgill-Smith, the two have been jointly charged with alleged misappropriation of jackpot payments to lottery winners. The offenses occurred during the periods of April 2008 and April 2010 when the two worked for TWL.
In hindsight, it is understandable why Milhench resigned last September after citing ill health as the primary reason. They were probably watching him like a hawk, and the impending shitstorm that was on the horizon would make anyone sick to their stomach.
As for TWL, the last thing the company needs poor press, considering the company stock has been taking a drubbing as of late, finally hitting a 52 week low at 0.375 pence per share in London this morning before staggering back to 0.60 pence, which is still down an unsettling 25 per cent from yesterday’s close. This scandal comes on the heels of the The Weather Lottery’s announcement to diversify into the online gambling world, which the company hopes will help it get off the mat moving forward.
Investigations by the UK Gambling Commission and now the Nottinghamshire Police don’t exactly promote a vote of confidence in TWL corporate governance at the moment, but on the bright side, perhaps the forecast won’t be all gloom and doom, isn’t bad press better than no press? It’s time for the PR department to show their worth.
