UK law enforcement authorities have initiated a fraud inquiry into the United Kingdom’s Post Office following a grave miscarriage of justice that wrongfully accused numerous postmasters of theft due to a flawed computer system.
The Metropolitan Police Force announced on Friday that it is probing “potential fraud offenses arising from these prosecutions” related to funds the Post Office obtained “as a consequence of prosecutions or civil actions” against accused postal employees.
Additionally, authorities are looking into potential perjury and obstruction of justice offenses linked to investigations and prosecutions conducted by the Post Office.
Between 1999 and 2015, over 700 post office branch managers faced allegations of theft or fraud, as computer systems incorrectly indicated missing money.
Many suffered severe financial consequences, being compelled to make substantial payments to the company, with some even being convicted and imprisoned. Tragically, several individuals took their own lives.
The actual culprit was a defective computer accounting system known as Horizon, provided by the Japanese technology firm Fujitsu, which was implemented in local Post Office branches in 1999.
For years, the Post Office insisted on the reliability of Horizon’s data and accused branch managers of dishonesty when discrepancies arose.
After extensive advocacy efforts by victims and their legal representatives, the Court of Appeal nullified 39 convictions in 2021.
A judge asserted that the Post Office was aware of serious concerns about Horizon’s reliability and had committed “egregious” investigative and disclosure failures.
According to the Post Office, a total of 93 postal workers have had their convictions overturned thus far.
However, many others await exoneration, and only 30 have accepted “full and final” compensation settlements. A public inquiry into the scandal has been ongoing since 2022.
As of now, no individuals from the publicly-owned Post Office or associated companies have been arrested or confronted with criminal charges.
This long-standing scandal regained prominence with the recent broadcast of the TV docudrama “Mr. Bates vs the Post Office.”
The series chronicles the two-decade struggle of branch manager Alan Bates, portrayed by Toby Jones, to uncover the truth and vindicate the wrongly accused postal workers.
Post Office Chief Executive Nick Read, who assumed the role after the scandal, welcomed the TV series and expressed hope that it would “raise further awareness and encourage anyone affected who has not yet come forward to seek the redress and compensation they deserve.”
Neil Hudgell, an attorney representing some of the postal workers, reported that 50 potential new victims have approached lawyers since the show aired on ITV.
Hudgell emphasized, “The drama has elevated public awareness to a whole new level. The British public and their overwhelming sympathy for the plight of these poor people have given some the strength to finally come forward. Those numbers increase by the day, but there are so many more out there.”
