Post Office releases secret emails which could help reveal the reason why subpostmasters in IT system fraud were not prosecuted

  •  The Post Office has agreed to hand over secret emails that could explain why hundreds of subpostmasters were wrongly prosecuted
  •  A public inquiry is under way to find out what happened, and 59 people have had their convictions overturned
  •  Insiders estimate that the inquiry will be given tens of millions of documents, spanning over 20 years










Secret emails have been given to the Post Office by its lawyers. This could help explain why subpostmasters were incorrectly charged with fraud, theft, and false accounting. However, it was a computer error that caused financial irregularities.

A public inquiry has been launched to determine what really happened. 59 of those convicted have now had their sentences overturned.

Insiders estimate that the inquiry will be given tens of millions of documents, spanning over 20 years of e-mails and letters between Post Office staff and internal legal advisers, barristers and solicitors’ firms.

Postmasters accused of theft by Post Office celebrate outside the High Court In London after they had their convictions overturned

Postmasters charged with theft of Post Office merchandise celebrate outside High Court In London, after being acquitted

The documents will allow the inquiry to test claims made by the Post Office’s former chief executive, Paula Vennells, a part-time priest, that she was led astray by her legal advisers.

The Post Office does not legally have to hand over the papers but volunteered them at the request of the inquiry’s chairman, Sir Wyn Williams.

Without considering legal counsel given by senior management, postmasters claimed that it was difficult to find out how many were being targeted.

Legal sources stated that the inquiry wouldn’t have the legal authority to require the Post Office hand the documents over if the Post Office had not given them up.

Former Post Office worker Janet Skinner (centre) hugs family members after having her conviction relating to the Horizon IT scandal overturned in April of this year

Janet Skinner, a former Post Office employee (centre), hugs her family after she was convicted in relation to the Horizon IT scam.

Sir Wyn said: ‘There is now a great deal of work to be done in organising and obtaining disclosure of relevant documents statement here.’

A Post Office spokeswoman said: ‘Following the request by the inquiry chairman, the Post Office has agreed to waive relevant legal privilege for the purpose of the Inquiry to over 20 years of documentation, reflecting our desire to assist the Inquiry in obtaining the information necessary to complete their investigations.

‘While the Inquiries Act does not compel this step, and legal privilege is an important feature of our justice system, this is the right thing to do for all those affected by the Horizon IT scandal.’

It has declined to waive privilege in respect of the postmasters’ compensation scheme, the Historical Shortfall Scheme.

Was Horizon a computer system? How was it flawed? 

Between 1999 and 2015, hundreds of postmasters were sacked or prosecuted after money appeared to go missing from their branch accounts (file image)

Between 1999-2015, hundreds of postmasters were dismissed or tried for money laundering (file image). 

From 1999 onwards, the Post Office introduced Horizon, an innovative IT system that was developed by Fujitsu in Japan.

This system could be used to do transactions, stocktaking and accounting. The system was not perfect and subpostmasters reported it as having shortfalls. Some of these were worth thousands of pounds.  

In an effort to rectify an error, some subpostmasters sought to close the gap by borrowing money or remortgaging houses.

Between 1999-2015, many subpostmasters were fired or tried for their role in the system’s glitches. Ex-workers blamed Horizon’s IT flaws, which was later denied by the Post Office.

Post Office forced postmasters to plead guilty in case after case to charges they didn’t commit.

Other people who were not convicted of the crime were forced from their jobs and required to return thousands of pounds worth of “missing” money.

The Post Office spent £32million to deny any fault in their IT system, before capitulating. 

But, The scandal cost the lives of postmasters, postmistresses, and they were forced to learn how to handle it. With the consequences of a conviction or imprisonment, even if they are pregnant or have young children.

The courts heard from families that marriages fell apart, and how stress may have led to addiction, health problems, premature death, or even suicide.

 

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