Post Office bosses are to face MPs as part of official inquiry into scandal of staff who were wrongly accused of theft
- The Post Office accused its staff for years of stealing from its branches
- Many former postmasters were convicted and fined, and in some cases jailed
- But it later emerged that its IT system was riddled with computer bugs
- The Post Office paid out £58million to over 500 ex-employees and apologised
- Former staff are to spearhead Britain’s largest miscarriage of justice case ever
- PM Boris Johnson has announced an independent inquiry into the scandal
The IT scandal that saw hundreds of Post Office staff falsely accused of theft will be the subject of an official inquiry.
MPs on the Commons business committee will this month question former bosses and a Government minister on how postmasters were branded thieves for allegedly stealing from tills, bankrupted and in some cases jailed.
For years the Post Office denied there was anything wrong with its IT, but it emerged the Horizon counter-top computer terminals were riddled with bugs.
MPs on the Commons business committee will this month question former bosses and a Government minister on how postmasters were branded thieves for allegedly stealing from tills, bankrupted and in some cases jailed (file photo, Post Office Barnsley)
In December the Post Office capitulated after a long legal battle costing £32million of taxpayers’ cash in legal costs before paying out £58million and apologising to wronged postmasters.
Many still carry criminal convictions, which more than 50 hope to see overturned in the Court of Appeal.
The Director of Public Prosecutions is considering whether staff from Fujitsu, who installed the IT system, should face prosecution. Last week Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced an independent inquiry into the scandal.
It is expected the committee’s findings will inform this wider inquiry.
The Post Office settled the High Court case after being lambasted by the judge. It had spent years battling its postal veterans and denying any problem with its IT system (file photo)
Labour’s Rachel Reeves, chairman of the business committee, said: ‘Hundreds of sub-postmasters have suffered considerable distress and many have had their lives ruined. It’s right to examine what the Post Office and the Government have learned from this scandal.’
Jo Hamilton, who was convicted after inexplicable losses of £36,000 at her village post office in South Warnborough, Hampshire, said: ‘It’s fantastic news, we’ve been asking for an inquiry for so long now.
‘My conviction means I just do cleaning. We’d like some redress financially.’
Andy Furey, of the Communication Workers Union, said: ‘Hopefully this will ensure those responsible for creating so much misery of so many innocent postmasters will be held to account.’
Yesterday the Post Office said: ‘We will engage positively with this inquiry.’