Post Office bombshell as deal struck 19 years in the past to repair errors | UK | News | EUROtoday

The Post Office agreed a confidential cope with Fujitsu 19 years in the past to repair errors in sub-postmasters’ accounts, a doc has revealed. An settlement in 2006 suggests each firms have been conscious of bugs within the Horizon IT systemwith Fujitsu answerable for a £100-£150 penalty for every defective transaction.

The doc signifies the Post Office and Fujitsu had authorisation to change accounts, regardless of claims it was not doable to take action remotely and that there have been no bugs within the system. About 1,000 individuals have been wrongly prosecuted and convicted within the UK between 1999 and 2015 because of Horizon, which mistakenly confirmed shortfalls in accounts.

It led to a big variety of sub-postmasters considering self-harm and some even taking their very own lives.

The long-running battle for justice accelerated dramatically after ITV broadcast the drama Mr Bates Vs The Post Officewhich highlighted the stunning scandal.

The 26-page contract, marked “commercial in confidence”, was first revealed by Channel 4 News on Monday, after being posted on the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry’s web site.

The contract mentioned: “If the reconciliation service identifies that transaction data held on the ‘central database’ located at the data centre is found to be inconsistent when compared to the records of the transaction that was completed at the branch, eg a receipt, a transaction log or a branch accounting discrepancy, the reconciliation service shall obtain authorisation from Post Office prior to amending the centrally held transaction data.”

Lee Castleton, who was wrongly accused of false accounting, instructed Channel 4: “It just makes me feel physically sick. Really, you’ve got a group of people in two companies that wrote a contract for something that they’ve said repeatedly was never required.

“And it is simply sickening for all of the misery and victimisation of the group, of all of our group. They’ve had this doc of their possession that they’ve by no means revealed.”

Mr Castleton said disclosure of the document “completely” would have made a difference to his case.

He said: “This makes it a totally completely different query. We’re now speaking about accounts that may be adjusted remotely, but additionally a contract in place for the way that ought to be executed.

“You know, 13 people potentially have taken their lives because of the treatment at the hands of these companies.

“It’s disgusting to suppose that even now, twenty years on, we’re discovering new paperwork, new paperwork which are intrinsic to what was occurring. You know, it is completely abhorrent. It’s disgusting.”

Paul Marshall, a senior barrister for sub-postmasters, told the BBC the document shows that in 2006 there was “a really huge, recognised downside with Horizon sustaining information integrity”.

He said: “The Post Office, for 20 years, was saying the one clarification for shortfalls in department accounts was postmaster incompetence or dishonesty.

“But the maintenance of data integrity was fundamental to the Post Office-Fujitsu contract – Fujitsu were unable to provide or assure this.”

A Post Office spokesperson mentioned: “We apologise unequivocally for the hurt and suffering which the Post Office caused to so many people during the Horizon IT Scandal.

“Today, our organisation is targeted on working transparently with the continued public inquiry, paying full and truthful monetary redress to these impacted, and establishing a significant restorative justice programme, all of that are necessary parts of the continued transformation of the Post Office.”

A Fujitsu spokesperson said: “These issues are the topic of forensic investigation by the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry and it isn’t applicable for us to remark whereas that course of is ongoing.”