The former Post Office bosses are not being “held to account” over issues with the Horizon IT system, according to the Post Office chief executive, Nick Read. During a long-running inquiry into faults with the Horizon system, which led to wrongful prosecutions of hundreds of postmasters, Mr. Read indicated that many previous leaders may not have faced consequences if they were aware of the problems with the IT system.
Mr. Read highlighted that current Post Office colleagues have observed a lack of accountability among historical leaders who appeared before the inquiry. This lack of holding individuals accountable for understanding and addressing issues associated with Horizon in the past has raised concerns within the organisation.
One of the former chief executives, Paula Vennells, has given evidence at the inquiry and expressed regret to postmasters while denying any conspiracy to conceal the Horizon scandal. The scandal involved over 900 subpostmasters being wrongly prosecuted for theft based on inaccurate data from the Horizon IT system.
Despite widespread criticism, the Post Office continues to use the Horizon system. Following the overturning of hundreds of postmaster convictions earlier this year, an inquiry has been diligently collecting evidence of the system’s failures at the Post Office.
In a recent development, thousands of Post Office subpostmasters have reported ongoing unexplained issues with Horizon over the past four years, as per a recent survey. Moreover, during the inquiry proceedings, Mr. Read expressed surprise at the significant interest shown by the police, revealing that 33 investigations into Post Office branches were initiated in June of the current year.
The large-scale involvement of 22 law enforcement agencies in investigating Post Office branches caught the attention of the Post Office leadership. Mr. Read noted that the organization had anticipated only a few requests for information and was taken aback by the extent and volume of police inquiries into the matter.
The inquiry revealed that the police were seeking or awaiting Horizon-based evidence for their investigations. Mr. Read also highlighted the strain faced by the Post Office’s internal investigations team due to the substantial engagement with law enforcement agencies at that time. The Post Office’s response to the police inquiries and the handling of Horizon-related evidence were key focal points during the inquiry proceedings.