Hundreds of Post Office workers ‘vindicated’ by High Court ruling over faulty Post Office IT system

[Serge Forward]

Can't help reading his surname as Twatford... it's the 'W' in his first name that automatically makes a semi-spoonerism in my head.

 

[editor]

I'm a bit late to the TV series and am only two episodes in, but it's one of the most powerful things I've ever watched.

I've been crying with rage. Those poor, poor people.

And Toby Jones is one of the greatest actors ever.

 

[GarveyLives]

It would be good to hear from some of those mentioned, given that documents that appear to show that the Post Office Board was aware of the Horizon system's failures back in 2013 - indeed it was so worried about a potential miscarriage of justice that it alerted its insurers:

​

Channel 4 News has now obtained secret recordings of conversations over a decade ago between senior Post Office executives and the independent forensic accountants hired to find out whether sub-postmasters were to blame for the shortfalls at branches using the Horizon system. And, as Channel 4 News exclusively reports, they prove beyond doubt that the Post Office covered up the scandal for years as they continued to pursue innocent employees through the courts:

​

 

[WWWeed]

Looks like Fujitsu got one last contract before promising not to bid for anyone UK gov work. This time for the PASS age verification scheme:

Fujitsu set to be preferred bidder in UK digital ID scheme

Selection comes despite Japanese supplier's role in Post Office scandal

www.theregister.com

 

[zahir]

Secret papers reveal Post Office knew its court defence was false

A draft report seen by the BBC confirms the Post Office knew of IT vulnerabilities before Bates v Post Office case.

www.bbc.co.uk

The draft report can be downloaded here:
POL00028070 - Deloitte's 'Bramble' Draft Report | Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry

 

[WouldBe]

Looks like Fujitsu got one last contract before promising not to bid for anyone UK gov work. This time for the PASS age verification scheme:

Fujitsu set to be preferred bidder in UK digital ID scheme

Selection comes despite Japanese supplier's role in Post Office scandal

www.theregister.com

"Your PASS says you're 173 years old"

 

[cupid_stunt]

"Your PASS says you're 173 years old"

Something Sasaferrato would be pleased with.

 

[Sasaferrato]

Something Sasaferrato would be pleased with.

 

[two sheds]

And a tape:

https://www.itv.com/news/2024-03-28/secret-tape-reveals-paula-vennells-was-told-about-faulty-horizon-software

Some of these scumbags should see the inside of jails.

 

[Gromit]

"Your PASS says you're 173 years old"

And therefore owe 5 million in unpaid taxes all those years.

 

[not a trot]

And a tape:

https://www.itv.com/news/2024-03-28/secret-tape-reveals-paula-vennells-was-told-about-faulty-horizon-software

Some of these scumbags should see the inside of jails.

We can live in hope.

 

[GarveyLives]

And a tape:

https://www.itv.com/news/2024-03-28/secret-tape-reveals-paula-vennells-was-told-about-faulty-horizon-software

Some of these scumbags should see the inside of jails.

ITV News, 28 March 2024: A secret audio recording obtained by ITV News reveals that Post Office boss Paula Vennells was told directly about problems with the Horizon system and warned not to cover them up.

In a meeting with independent investigators from Second Sight on 2 July 2013, Ms Vennells was made aware of allegations that sub-postmaster branch accounts could be accessed remotely.

This is something the Post Office had denied for years:

​

Channel 4 News has now obtained secret recordings of conversations over a decade ago between senior Post Office executives and the independent forensic accountants hired to find out whether sub-postmasters were to blame for the shortfalls at branches using the Horizon system. And, as Channel 4 News exclusively reports, they prove beyond doubt that the Post Office covered up the scandal for years as they continued to pursue innocent employees through the courts:

​

Channel 4 News, 2 April 2024: More shocking revelations from secret recordings obtained by Channel 4 News show that Post Office boss Paula Vennells was briefed about allegations of a "covert operations teams" - and that it could remotely alter sub-postmasters accounts from Fujitsu's HQ without them knowing. That was in 2013. Seven years later, in letters to a parliamentary committee, Paula Vennells insisted she had been told by Fujitsu this was not possible.

Meanwhile the Post Office had taken innocent sub-postmasters to court, saying they must have stolen money when their accounts failed to add up - a miscarriage of justice that the tapes also reference:

​

 

[hash tag]

The enquiry is live on BBC2 at the moment with Alan Bates giving evidence. What a man. So calm, collected, dignified, intelligent. With the few minutes I have seen I would have lost my patience and temper ages ago and would probably have long since stormed out.

 

[editor]

The enquiry is live on BBC2 at the moment with Alan Bates giving evidence. What a man. So calm, collected, dignified, intelligent. With the few minutes I have seen I would have lost my patience and temper ages ago and would probably have long since stormed out.

I was listening to him. Incredible man.

Fujitsu should be sued for zillions, and all those crooked fuckers at the PO who tried to cover this up should go straight to jail for the utter misery and heartbreak they've caused.

I was once sacked after being falsely accused of taking money from a sandwich bar I was working at and even now - 25 years later - I'm angry about it, and that was just a shitty part time job.

I can't even imagine what the Post Office workers must have felt like.

 

[existentialist]

The enquiry is live on BBC2 at the moment with Alan Bates giving evidence. What a man. So calm, collected, dignified, intelligent. With the few minutes I have seen I would have lost my patience and temper ages ago and would probably have long since stormed out.

I can't help thinking the bloke should run for election on an integrity ticket. Of course, he'd be absolutely mad to even consider it...

 

[Wilf]

I can't help thinking the bloke should run for election on an integrity ticket. Of course, he'd be absolutely mad to even consider it...

Needs to get a white suit first.

 

[teqniq]

Forgot to post this the other day. Post office senior management, absolute scum:

Widow of postmaster who took own life is denied Post Office compensation

 

[existentialist]

Forgot to post this the other day. Post office senior management, absolute scum:

Widow of postmaster who took own life is denied Post Office compensation

I'd like to think I can hear the sound of prison sentences ratcheting up, but I am not at all confident that any of the perpetrators will do time. Which is offensive.

 

[two sheds]

They've made British justice into (even more of) a joke. Unless something is done to these liars, courts clearly don't care if people coming before them commit perjury to jail perfectly innocent people.

 

[equationgirl]

I'd like to think I can hear the sound of prison sentences ratcheting up, but I am not at all confident that any of the perpetrators will do time. Which is offensive.

Extremely offensive.

 

[philosophical]

One woman victim said no prison, strip the high ups and nasties of all their assets and make them work two jobs a day like she has to.

 

[quiet guy]

There are too many senior government and PO persons who have been involved in this and I'd be very surprised if they end up doing time. Some people will get a slapped wrist and be quietly shunted out of public sight.
It's wrong but isn't this the way the establishment always deal with this type of issue, the absolute fuckers

 

[Petcha]

A bit late to this but did it not occur to the people banging all these people up that it was a bit weird that all these rural post office managers had suddenly become criminal masterminds? All at the same time? Hundreds of them?

Saw Master Bates (soz but my juvenile side still giggles at that) give his testimony. He was brilliant. What a dude.

 

[Raheem]

A bit late to this but did it not occur to the people banging all these people up that it was a bit weird that all these rural post office managers had suddenly become criminal masterminds? All at the same time? Hundreds of them?

Supposedly, technology was uncovering a hitherto hidden world of crime. Although I'd be sceptical that anyone really thought it had previously been possible to just take whatever you wanted and go unnoticed until Fujitsu came to the rescue.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

A bit late to this but did it not occur to the people banging all these people up that it was a bit weird that all these rural post office managers had suddenly become criminal masterminds? All at the same time? Hundreds of them?

and (sorry if i've missed it somewhere in the thread) isn't there some sort of union / national organisation for sub-postmasters?

what the heck were they doing?

it's a while since i've been a union rep, but if loads of my members suddenly got accused of fraud soon after a new accounting system came in, i'd probably start asking questions...

 

[quiet guy]

The National Federation of Subpostmasters (NFSP). The senior management of it had a bit too cosy a relationship with the PO and didn't step up to support those who were hounded for the losses as they swallowed the PO line that Horizon couldn't be wrong.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

The National Federation of Subpostmasters (NFSP). The senior management of it had a bit too cosy a relationship with the PO and didn't step up to support those who were hounded for the losses as they swallowed the PO line that Horizon couldn't be wrong.

in a big way

 

[Wilf]

in a big way

They also, literally, ceased to be a trade union, becoming an in house company union, receiving funds from the post office.

 

[Puddy_Tat]

They also, literally, ceased to be a trade union, becoming an in house company union, receiving funds from the post office.

 

[Wilf]

Also, the leader of the new company union played a major role in keeping the sub post post masters/mistresses classed as guilty. Without checking, can't remember what stage this was at, but he appeared before a (Parliamentary?) committee and said he actually thought that most of those accused were actually guilty. Just. Wow.