Paula Vennells was 'lying' about Post Office scandal, claims forensic accountant

Summary

The Post Office scandal involved thousands of sub postmasters wrongfully prosecuted for theft due to issues with the Post Office's Horizon computer system. A public inquiry has revealed attempts by Post Office executives to cover up the problems, including trying to 'shut down' campaigns by affected sub postmasters and supportive MPs. There is evidence the Post Office knew Horizon could cause money discrepancies, yet still prosecuted sub postmasters based on false accounts. MPs and investigators allege the Post Office lied to government committees and inquiries. There are now calls for police investigations and criminal prosecutions over the scandal which ruined lives over many years.

Takeaways

• 😡 The UK Post Office scandal involved thousands of subpostmasters wrongfully accused and convicted of theft.
• 😟 Senior Post Office executives and lawyers knew of problems with the Horizon IT system but covered them up.
• 😠 Post Office executives tried to shut down MPs and campaigners investigating the scandal.
• 😤 The Post Office misled Parliament about evidence of miscarriages of justice.
• 😢 Subpostmaster lives were ruined by false accusations and wrongful convictions.
• 😠 The Post Office limited the information given to investigating forensic accountants.
• 😡 The Post Office CEO denied any evidence of miscarriages of justice despite being aware of such evidence.
• 🤬 An investigator believes the Post Office CEO lied to Parliament about miscarriages of justice.
• 😤 The Post Office tried to control and shut down an MP and subpostmasters' alliance investigating the scandal.
• 😠 There are calls for criminal investigations and prosecutions of Post Office leaders involved in the scandal cover up.

Q & A

What is the Post Office inquiry investigating?

The Post Office inquiry is investigating the Post Office Horizon scandal, where thousands of sub-postmasters were wrongly prosecuted for theft, false accounting and fraud.

What evidence has been uncovered about the Post Office's knowledge of problems with the Horizon system?

Covertly recorded meeting transcripts show the Post Office knew there were problems with the Horizon system and tried to cover it up, including attempting to shut down MP investigations.

How did the Post Office respond to MP inquiries about the scandal?

The Post Office tried to shut down inquiries by MPs like James Arbuthnot, who were raising concerns about potential miscarriages of justice against sub-postmasters.

What did Paula Vennells tell Parliament about potential miscarriages of justice?

In 2015, Paula Vennells, then CEO of the Post Office, told Parliament "we've had no evidence of" any miscarriages of justice against sub-postmasters.

What evidence contradicts Vennells' statement to Parliament?

A 2006 confidential report into the case of sub-postmaster Joe Hamilton found no evidence of theft, despite Hamilton later being prosecuted - evidence the Post Office knew of problems years before Vennells' statement.

What was the involvement of Second Sight in investigating the scandal?

Second Sight were forensic accountants brought in by the Post Office in 2012 to investigate the scandal. They found major issues with the Horizon system, which the Post Office tried to suppress.

How did MPs react to the transcript revelations?

MPs like Lord Arbuthnot expressed shock and called for urgent police investigations into potential criminal misconduct by Post Office executives.

What were the impacts on affected sub-postmasters?

Sub-postmasters suffered wrongful prosecutions, imprisonment, financial ruin, and health impacts due to the Post Office's false accusations against them.

What are the next steps for the inquiry?

The inquiry will continue taking testimony and examining evidence, with a final report still to be published. Criminal investigations may also follow.

What are the wider implications of the scandal?

Beyond individual injustices, the scandal reveals issues with government oversight of a national institution and institutional cover-ups of errors.