Post Office scandal



Even someone with my limited knowledge of accounting knows that there are ways and means of going through every transaction and identifying erroneous ones and mistakes. On what planet do you take the end figure as gospel without auditing?
 
yamar1 said:
In a nutshell, what happened?
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Post Office had a computer system called Horizon, which sub-postmasters in local post offices had to put all transactions through.

It had major bugs, known of for years but hushed up, resulting in false transactions being posted by the software. ICL/Fujitsu (who wrote and maintained it) and Post Office (who knew of the bugs) denied any bugs. Post Office made sub-postmasters repay money for dodgy transactions from their own pockets, sacked sub-postmasters, took many to court, ruined many lives, some suicides and even had some imprisoned.

It was only after years of campaigning, with these people having criminal records and disgraced in their communities, that the truth finally came out. A case was taken against the Post Office on behalf of 555 sub-postmasters. Post Office spent a fortune of public money trying to cover their arse.

The 555 were exonerated, and £100m awarded between them, about half of which was swallowed by legal fees. So, in exchange for their lives ruined, the sub-postmasters got fuck all in compo.

As always, some of those top people at the Post Office (e.g. Paula Vennells) responsible for this have gone on to top positions elsewhere. Vennells also got a CBE for her services to the Post Office and charity.

A f***ing disgrace.
 
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Never understood how an audit or dive into the books never highlighted the errors. Surely everything they sell is issued and sold with a trail....and saving account balances would have been incorrect.
 
JL1985 said:
1 or 2 cases you might initially think theft is involved. When it becomes hundreds its obvious there’s something wrong with the system.
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It’s the fact that they hid the other cases from everyone. So Postmasters were constantly told, no one else has this problem so it must be you, and made them feel like they were going mad. Some literally did, sadly. It’s f***ing criminal.
 
japs said:
Never understood how an audit or dive into the books never highlighted the errors. Surely everything they sell is issued and sold with a trail....and saving account balances would have been incorrect.
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Anyone who has had any exposure to such systems would think so. But this never happened. They denied publicly that the bugs ever existed. They told each sub-postmaster that this was their fault, it wasn't happening anywhere else, and they had to make good any shortfall out of their own pocket. The union body which was supposed to represent the sub-postmasters hung them out to dry. Then the Post Office sent "audit" teams after them, to investigate their "fraud", leading to the sub-postmaster being sacked in disgrace (and skint) or worse.

It is that shocking, sickening and Kafkaeaque. You wouldn't believe that something like this could happen in the 21st century. When i read about it my first response was "No f***ing Way !".

Expect fireworks at this government enquiry, But I still doubt that the sub-postmasters will get proper recompense, and I doubt that those responsible will get the punishments they truly deserve.
JL1985 said:
1 or 2 cases you might initially think theft is involved. When it becomes hundreds its obvious there’s something wrong with the system.
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You would think so. It is well beyond dishonest, deceitful or incompetent.
 
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Just watching a segment about it on BBC news. Absolutely disgusting. People’s lives ruined. You wouldn’t believe it could happen to so many people. Absolutely sickening.
 
Drexl said:
Just watching a segment about it on BBC news. Absolutely disgusting. People’s lives ruined. You wouldn’t believe it could happen to so many people. Absolutely sickening.
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aye saw it, my anger would be off the scale . i'm surprised the two are so calm.

could the post masters/mistresses take out a private prosecution against individuals/organisations concerned ?
 
The public hearings started on Mondy and I have managed to watch a couple of sessions, they are being Live streamed on You Tube. The individuals giving evidence (under oath) are the sort of people that make our country great. The fight they have bought to the Post Office is a testament to their resolve and I would recommend folk try to watch one or two to get a real sense of the enormous injustice they have all suffered.

Later in the year the "organisations" will begin to give evidence to the inquiry and it will be interesting to hear what they have to say.
 

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