Disgraced Post Office boss Paula Vennells apologises to workers as she gives evidence at Horizon inquiry for first time
DISGRACED ex-Post Office boss Paula Vennells apologised to workers as she gave evidence for the first time at the Horizon IT public inquiry today.
Vennells, 65, was the Post Office’s chief executive between 2012 and 2019, earning a total of £5.1m while leading the organisation.
She was in charge when reports of a faulty IT system led to hundreds of sub-postmasters being wrongfully convicted for theft, fraud and false accounting.
The wrong convictions, which happened between 2000 and 2014, were based on information from a new computer system named Horizon.
Former chief executive Venells, who was formally stripped of her CBE by the King earlier this year, arrived in London today surrounded by cops.
She refused to answer any questions as she was escorted into Aldwych House by police at around 7.45am.
The disgraced Post Office boss said “how sorry I am for all that subpostmasters and their families… have suffered” at the beginning of her evidence to the Horizon IT inquiry.
It’s the first time Vennells has publicly spoken about her role in the scandal for nearly a decade.
She will give three days of evidence and her main witness statement runs to nearly 900 pages including the index of all the documents that have been put to her to comment on.
Vennells is expected to face inquiry questions concerning her knowledge of the ability to remotely access the Horizon system, alleged false evidence given by expert witnesses during Post Office prosecutions, and the behaviour of the company’s investigators.
She may also be questioned on whether she believed there were any miscarriages of justice during her tenure after Alisdair Cameron, the chief financial officer, told the probe she did not and “could not have got there emotionally”.
Hundreds of subpostmasters were wrongly convicted of stealing after the Post Office’s defective Horizon accounting system made it appear as though money was missing at their branches.
Sub-postmasters complained about bugs in the system – which in some cases amounted to thousands of pounds – and some even tried to fix the issue with their own money or remortgaging their homes.
The Post Office also forced at least 4,000 branch managers to pay back cash based on the flawed data.
Some victims were sent to prison or financially ruined, others were shunned by their communities, while some took their own lives.
Speaking before the hearing today, former sub-postmaster Lee Castleton said he was hoping to hear “the truth”.
Mr Castleton, from Bridlington, East Yorkshire, was found to have a £25,000 shortfall at his branch in 2004.
He was made bankrupt after he lost his legal battle with the Post Office.
Mr Castleton said: “I’m really looking forward to listen to what she has to say. It’s a good platform for her to finally speak.
“She’s not been able to, for whatever reason, speak for all these years. I think it’s important that she is listened to and heard and then we can all judge that.”
This is your chance to put it out there. Do what you feel is right.”
Former sub-postmaster Lee Castleton to Vennells
He continued: “Let’s hear what, why and when, and who – who was involved in those decisions, why those decisions were made.
“And let’s listen to the other side of what we’ve heard already, which is the impact of those decisions, to hear what the reasons for those decisions were.”
Asked what message he would send to Ms Vennells if he could, Mr Castleton said: “This is your chance to put it out there. The world’s listening, if you like. Do what you feel is right.”
In 2017, a group of 555 sub-postmasters took legal action against the Post Office.
In 2019, it agreed to pay them £58m in compensation, but much of the money went on legal fees.
THE POST OFFICE SCANDAL - A TIMELINE OF KEY EVENTS
– 1999
The Horizon IT system starts to be rolled out in Post Office branches across the UK.
– 2000
Alan Bates reports issues with the Horizon IT system.
– 2003
Alan Bates has his contract terminated after refusing to accept liability for the shortfalls in the accounts at his Llandudno branch in North Wales.
– 2004
Lee Castleton, from Bridlington, East Yorkshire, was found to have a £25,000 shortfall at his branch. He was made bankrupt after he lost his legal battle with the Post Office.
– 2009
Computer Weekly magazine breaks the story of seven subpostmasters beginning their fight for justice.
The Justice for Subpostmasters Alliance is established.
– 2010
Pregnant subpostmaster Seema Misra, who ran a post office in West Byfleet, Surrey, is jailed after being accused of stealing £74,000.
– 2015
Post Office boss Paula Vennells tells the business select committee that there is no evidence of miscarriages of justice.
Post Office halts prosecutions of subpostmasters.
– 2017
Legal action is launched against the Post Office by a group of 555 subpostmasters.
– 2019
A High Court judge rules that Horizon contained a number of “bugs, errors and defects” and there was a “material risk” that shortfalls in Post Office branch accounts were caused by the system.
The Post Office agreed to pay out £58million to the 555 subpostmasters.
Post Office boss Paula Vennells is appointed a CBE.
– 2020
The Post Office does not oppose 44 appeals against convictions of subpostmasters.
– 2021
A statutory inquiry looking into the failings of the Horizon system and the wrongful convictions of subpostmasters begins.
The Court of appeal quashes 39 wrongful crown court convictions.
– 2023
The Government announces that every wrongly convicted subpostmaster will be offered £600,000 in compensation.
– 2024
ITV drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office airs for the first time.
The Metropolitan Police say they are looking at “potential fraud offences arising out of these prosecutions”, for example “monies recovered from subpostmasters as a result of prosecutions or civil actions”.
Following the scandal, Ms Vennells said she is “truly sorry” and quit her other positions at the NHS, Cabinet Office, Morrisons, Dunelm and as a minister with the Church of England.
A Post Office spokesperson said: “The statutory Public Inquiry, chaired by a judge with the power to question witnesses under oath, is the best forum to examine the issues raised by this evidence.
“We continue to remain fully focused on supporting the Inquiry get to the truth of what happened and accountability for that.”
The harrowing story was retold in the ITV drama Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, which has left viewers appalled and astonished.
Actress Lia Williams played Vennells within the drama.
Fujitsu, the firm behind the Horizon software, vowed not to take new taxpayer-funded public works when the ITV drama sparked outrage in January.
After the ITV show, Fujitsu’s Europe CEO Paul Patterson apologised to sub-postmasters for the company’s role in the Horizon IT scandal.
When did Paula Vennells resign?
Paula Vennells was managing director of the Post Office from 2010 to 2012 and chief executive from 2012 to 2019.
As she resigned, hundreds of employees were still falsely branded thieves by the organisation.
After resigning, she went on to work as associate minister in the Diocese of St Albans.
She also took the roles of chair of Imperial College Healthcare NHS trust and non-executive director at the Cabinet Office.