The Metropolitan police have confirmed that the Post Office is currently being investigated for possible fraud related to the Horizon scandal. This is the first acknowledgement of a criminal investigation into the matter.
The authorities are looking into possible instances of fraud related to these legal cases. This includes money that was obtained from sub-postmasters through prosecutions or civil actions. Scotland Yard announced this on Friday evening.
It is unclear if the investigation pertains to specific employees or the overall Post Office organization.
During the period of 1999 to 2015, over 700 post office branch managers were mistakenly charged with criminal offenses due to errors in the Horizon accounting software, leading to incorrect reports of missing funds from their branches.
According to the agreements in their contracts, the operators were responsible for any financial damages and the Post Office required them to reimburse the funds or potentially face closure, legal action, or a lawsuit.
Hundreds of individuals were imprisoned or faced financial ruin, and at least four individuals died by suicide.
The amount of money that was reimbursed for hypothetical deficits is uncertain, but a total of £151 million has been disbursed as compensation. Operators argued that tens of millions of pounds that were unfairly taken back went towards Post Office earnings.
The Metropolitan Police is currently conducting a probe on two former employees of Fujitsu who served as witnesses in previous trials, on charges of committing perjury and obstructing justice. Fujitsu is the company responsible for developing the Horizon software.
According to the statement, the force has identified potential offences related to the Post Office investigations and prosecutions.
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The inquiry began in January of 2020 after being referred by the DPP.
“Two individuals have been questioned while being warned of their legal rights. No arrests have been made.”
Earlier this week, ITV aired a four-part drama titled “Mr Bates vs the Post Office.” The show tells the story of branch owner-operators who were wrongly prosecuted and their fight for justice.
Fifty individuals who may have been affected by the broadcast have reached out to attorneys, with five intending to challenge their guilty verdicts.
The commission responsible for reviewing criminal cases and sending them to the court of appeal is encouraging more individuals who may have been affected to step forward. In a statement released on Friday, they stated that they may be able to provide assistance in cases where an appeal was not successful, where a guilty plea was entered in a magistrates court, or if the individual is a family member of a deceased former sub-postmaster.
Source: theguardian.com
