Post Office Horizon Scandal: Uncorrected System Defects and Ongoing Financial Discrepancies
The ongoing Post Office Horizon scandal continues to unfold, revealing new layers of systemic issues and raising serious questions about transparency. Recent findings highlight an uncorrected system defect perhaps causing undetected financial shortfalls for subpostmasters, even as the public inquiry concludes its evidence-gathering phase. This article provides a complete update, drawing on reporting from Computer Weekly and expert analysis, to explain the current situation and its implications.
New Defect Reported to Public Inquiry
Second Sight investigator Alan Warmington recently alerted the Post Office scandal public inquiry to a critical, unresolved issue. He found the matter “sufficiently serious” to warrant immediate attention.
Warmington stated the defect is highly likely causing unaccounted shortfalls in branch accounts. A retired SPM (Senior Postmaster) initially reported the problem to Post Office leadership – including Mark Davies and Nick Read – back in June 2019.Despite diligent follow-up, the defect remains uncorrected.
This means current subpostmasters are potentially experiencing unexplained losses without knowing the root cause. Warmington expressed concern that Post Office management may be intentionally covering up this significant matter. The Post Office responded they are “happy to re-review our records in light of any further facts provided.”
Horizon System Continues to Generate Errors
Despite years of scrutiny, the Horizon system continues to produce erratic figures. Millions of pounds are being written off due to unexplained discrepancies.Computer Weekly reports the Post Office can’t account for these errors.
Here’s a breakdown of the financial impact:
* Past Two Years: Subpostmasters identified over 16,000 discrepancies (both shortfalls and surpluses).
* Recent Financial year: £11.6 million written off as unidentified shortfalls, recorded as losses on the horizon system.
* Previous Financial Year: £10.4 million written off for the same reason.
These shortfalls represent losses where the Post Office cannot determine the cause, leaving subpostmasters vulnerable to accusations of error or fraud.
What You Need to No
The Horizon scandal, frist exposed by Computer Weekly in 2009, represents the most widespread miscarriage of justice in British history. The initial reporting revealed the struggles of seven subpostmasters due to flaws in the Horizon accounting software.
Here’s a swift overview of the key issues:
* The problem: The Horizon system, developed by Fujitsu, contained defects that led to inaccurate accounting data.
* The Impact: Hundreds of subpostmasters were wrongly accused of theft, fraud, and false accounting. Many were prosecuted, lost their livelihoods, and suffered significant personal hardship.
* The Inquiry: A public inquiry was launched to investigate the scandal and determine accountability.
You can find a comprehensive timeline of Computer Weekly’s coverage of the scandal as 2009 here.
Looking Ahead
an self-reliant report on the Horizon system,conducted by Kroll,is expected to be published soon. This report may provide further insights into the ongoing issues and potential solutions.
For a deeper understanding of the Post Office scandal, read Computer Weekly’s detailed explainer
