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More questions to answer on Horizon
The decision of Paula Vennells to hand back the CBE she was awarded for “services to the Post Office” is a welcome acknowledgement of the harm caused to hundreds of staff during her time in charge of the company.
After the airing of the ITV dramaMr Bates vs The Post Office, in which she plays a prominent part, such a sacrifice was inevitable. More than one million people had signed a petition demanding her award be rescinded and Whitehall honours scrutineers may well have taken it from her.
But while Mrs Vennells became the public face of what has been called the most widespread miscarriage of justice in British history, she is by no means the only individual who should be held to account.
There were other senior executives involved in the purchase of the Horizon IT system who failed in their duty to ensure it worked properly. Sir Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, the minister in charge of the Post Office in the coalition government, was approached five times by Alan Bates, who masterminded this campaign, but did nothing. He said a meeting would not “serve any purpose”.
How would Sir Ed know that until he talked to Mr Bates? Since he is always demanding the resignations of others, will he now consider his own position? This affair has reinforced a popular belief that no one in positions of authority ever listens to their concerns.
Others who need to be held accountable include Fujitsu employees who suspected something was awry with the Horizon system but kept quiet even as clients for their software were dragged through the courts.
Then there are the lawyers who brought the prosecutions on a private basis but failed to disclose relevant evidence. Is there a case for perverting the course of justice here? What happened to the money paid by sub-postmasters to make good shortfalls in their accounts which never existed. Did no one ask where it had come from when it appeared on the Post Office books?
A public inquiry has been running since 2020 but is hampered by potential witnesses seeking immunity from prosecution. Progress to right this injustice should not await its outcome. The police should get on and investigate any suspected crimes while the Government should order the payment of proper compensation and seek recompense from Fujitsu. This saga needs to be brought to a close.
