Post Office scandal - Fujitsu apologises over 'appalling miscarriage of justice'

Alan Bates, the man at the centre of an ITV drama credited for accelerating British postal workers’ long-running battle for justice, will appear before MPs on Tuesday to examine delivering compensation to victims.
Mr Bates, who founded the Justice for Sub-postmasters Alliance, will address the Commons’ business and trade committee with former sub-postmistress Jo Hamilton. Post Office and Fujitsu bosses will also be questioned over the Horizon scandal.
The Commons Business and Trade Committee will be speaking to them at 10.30am after the appearance of Postmasters’ solicitor Neil Hudgell and former Tory MP James Arbuthnot.
Other witnesses include Post Office chief executive Nick Read, who joined the firm in 2019, from 11.30am and Paul Patterson, Europe chief executive of Fujitsu since 2019. They will be followed by Kevin Hollinrake, the minister responsible for the Post Office.
The Horizon scandal saw more than 700 sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses handed criminal convictions after faulty IT software made it appear as though money was missing at their branches.
Rishi Sunak last week announced that the wrongly prosecuted in England and Wales could have their names cleared by the end of the year under emergency legislation to tackle one of the worst miscarriages of justice in British history.
Read the latest here: www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2024...
#postoffice #scandal #horizon
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[@kiwichickie1975]

All the lawyers and barristers involved in this case laughing their way to the bank.

[@leroygoldbridge8874]

Yeah they all got paid instantly.

[@tonymoruzzi]

It’s it always the same.

[@malcolmm.richards1925]

Parliament must remove the right from the Post Office to investigate and prosecute their own cases.

[@Scotty-UK]

Post office bully boys v the one man band is obviously on show in the past, take the deal or risk years in prison, utter barstewards and now hiding reports, jail the lot of em!

[@t5ruxlee210]

If shysters are supposedly banned from pleading their "known by them to be guilty customers "innocent"", then surely they deserve to be disbarred for advising their innocent customers (with zero criminal backgrounds) to plead guilty to dirty unfounded charges in costly plea bargains ?

[@elkudos6262]

Should YT add the /gist command for giving a one paragraph text description to a 3 hour long video?
And/or /highlights command for key timestamps in chronological order?

[@jeffder7143]

No.

[@cecilefox9136]

I agree,it's absolutely ridiculous.

[@hch4nd13r]

Where was the evidence of loss in these cases?

[@leroygoldbridge8874]

They didn't need proof, as the PO bullies were judge jury and executioner.

[@branwensloper8197]

Simply judicial solution. List the convictions obtained using Horizon data as evidence. One senior judge's signature to exonerate them due to the Horizon data being deemed unreliable. The courts can currently issue Liability orders based on a list of names, so I don't see why I'm suggestion can't work.

[@stephensomersify]

And - they will fully compensate!? if that's anywhere near possible

[@travelwell6049]

Wow, still suggesting some people are guilty of theft 28:17
Well done that lady! 39:39

[@BarryBulsara576]

Disgusting! No postmaster has ever been guilty of anything ever throughout the history of the post office...He should be ashamed of himself for suggesting it!

[@skepticalbadger]

Not all of the convictions were to do with Horizon.

[@travelwell6049]

@@BarryBulsara576my point really was around innocent until proven guilty. Whereas this case has operated on a guilty until guilty, so plead guilty or else basis
It would have been more sensible to delicately say there needs to be robust process and let people read between the lines.

[@travelwell6049]

@@skepticalbadgerwhat other system was used to show shortfalls?

[@BarryBulsara576]

@@travelwell6049 What's really scary is the BBC are also entitled to bring private prosecutions with Capitva, and they do to the tune of 120 a day. Another scandal waiting to happen.

[@charlesmayes7333]

two things ethical company it actively took par in prosecutions NO ETHICS second all companies governments should by law hold a full ledger on the books not on computer computers are not 100% .And should not be relied upon .

[@JohnJones-wo1bc]

Fujitsu owes £500m compensation, £500m penal damages and £500m for perverting the course of justice. And then, any other penalties we think are due.

[@user-df9pr4dc1m]

I agree but the government signed off on this. They are still offering contracts to this company. I am not saying that Labour are blameless but alot more was known under a tory government. They awarded this woman a CBE in 2019!. I am not a tory voter but James Arbuthnot is a politician who seems to be a politician for the right reason. Not a career tory.

[@michaeljenkinson7099]

This goes back to the 1980s before Fujitsu took over ICL. The same problems were present in the ICL system.

[@ashleighellison9509]

Where there's squinty eyes there are problems.

[@user-kb4uz3cz7q]

Only the innocent will have seen the inside of a jail cell or prison.

[@alanpotter3146]

Appologise mean jack,get your hands in your deep pockets.

[@travelwell6049]

Apologies

[@Nutty...]

@@travelwell6049 Appolo G'eyes.

[@may-ky6jl]

Horizon was developed by a uk company which were funded by British Government before Fujitsu took over.

[@travelwell6049]

@@Nutty...Apollo-geez

[@andrewwelsh6638]

Fujitsu didn’t take those postmasters to court, the Post Office Board took the decision and the judicial system dealt the blow. Time to look closely at the legal gravy train and it’s travesty of justice. It takes a parliamentary law to circumvent the appeals system. Does this mean the government has lost confidence in the legal system that it has to pass laws to circumvent it?

[@kevinmcarthur1690]

91 years old wow and still waiting

[@sararichardson737]

Criminal!

[@GWills-ys6rd]

WHO'S NEXT - HMRC?

[@sirensynapse5603]

Wot's all this about a post office scandal?

[@elkudos6262]

No clue. And it’s three hours long. And they start somewhere deep in the middle.

[@garyday7054]

It's the biggest miscarriage of justice against innocent postmasters by the government

[@BarryBulsara576]

Worth reminding ourselves that the BBC currently bring 120 private prosecutions every single day.

[@leroygoldbridge8874]

Is tv license still a thing?

[@user-qk2rv6qv2f]

2 little 2 late

[@travelwell6049]

2:43:09 55 people prosecuted per year for 20 years? Or 10 years?