Sir Alan Bates Seeks Accountability for ‘Real Baddies’ in Post Office Scandal

Campaigner Sir Alan Bates has expressed his desire for the “real baddies” involved in the Post Office scandal to be held accountable. He commented that “many of us know who the guilty ones are” concerning the Horizon IT scandal, a situation where over 900 sub-postmasters were prosecuted for financial discrepancies caused by defects in an accounting system. Sir Alan made these remarks as a prolonged inquiry into what is considered one of the most extensive miscarriages of justice in British legal history concluded its final submissions. On Monday, legal representatives for sub-postmasters informed the inquiry that the Post Office’s “cruel” and “malignant culture” had “destroyed the innocent.” In an interview with the BBC’s World at One programme, Sir Alan stated his hope that public scrutiny would ensure justice is served. Between 1999 and 2015, hundreds of individuals were wrongly prosecuted after Fujitsu’s flawed Horizon IT accounting system erroneously indicated missing funds. Many lost their livelihoods or were compelled to cover shortfalls, while others reported feeling isolated from their communities. Tragically, some former sub-postmasters ended their own lives. On Monday, Edward Henry KC, representing the victims, declared: “The truth is this tragedy is not about an IT system. Horizon did not destroy the innocent – the malignant culture of the Post Office did.” He further added: “People were ruined, people were bankrupted, people were imprisoned, there were atrocious miscarriages of justice, people died.” His statement marked the approaching end of the inquiry, which was established in September 2020 to investigate the Post Office scandal. It has heard testimony from 298 witnesses, received 780 witness statements, and processed more than 2.2 million pages of disclosure. Among the witnesses was Paula Vennells, the former chief executive of the Post Office, who has faced widespread criticism for her handling of the situation. In his summation, Mr Henry told the inquiry: “The greatest horrors of the world, man’s cruelty to man, are not caused by monsters, malfunctions or misfortune but by those who claim to act in the name of good.” Earlier this year, the ITV drama Mr Bates versus the Post Office captured the public’s attention and garnered several awards by focusing on the human stories behind the scandal. Sir Alan commented that, as a result, “the country will be holding quite a few people to account on this and they will want to see real justice.” He also expressed his hope that the inquiry’s chair, Sir Wyn Williams, would “name names in this one.” Sir Wyn’s final report on the scandal is scheduled for publication next year, but Sir Alan voiced concern that it might be “put on a shelf” and that little action would follow. As Sir Wyn reviews all the information, Sam Stein KC, one of the barristers representing the victims, requested that the inquiry remain involved, particularly in holding the Post Office and the Department for Business accountable for compensation payments. While the inquiry nears its conclusion, many former Post Office branch managers are still awaiting the finalisation of compensation due to them, 25 years after the scandal commenced. Sir Alan revealed that his most recent offer for redress, which he rejected, was worth one-third of his original claim. He stated that the initial redress offer amounted to one-sixth of his original claim. He indicated that his claim is now with Sir Ross Cranston, a former High Court Judge, who serves as the Independent Reviewer of the GLO Post Office scheme. He noted that many sub-postmasters hoped to “put it behind them” but were determined to “see it through.” The initiation, deployment, and subsequent issues with Horizon occurred under Conservative governments, Labour governments, and a Tory and Lib-Dem coalition. Tim Moloney KC, in his concluding remarks on Monday, stated that “successive governments contributed to the position of crisis and commercial hunger which drove the Post Office as an institution and individuals within it to lose sight of the true value of the network and the individuals within it.” Sir Keir Starmer has responded to letters sent by former sub-postmaster Sir Alan Bates, while a No 10 spokesman has affirmed the government’s commitment to securing swift redress for victims. They have, however, expressed caution about setting an “arbitrary cut-off” date that could lead to some claimants being excluded. Neil Sheldon KC, representing UK Government Investments (UKGI), the entity that represents the government on the Post Office board, stated that it “should have provided more robust challenge and, had we shown more curiosity, the legitimate concerns raised by sub-postmasters… may have been given more weight.” He added: “For that… we apologise unreservedly.” He admitted that government officials might not have fully understood the powers they possessed to hold the Post Office accountable, including dismissing the chair or summoning the chair and chief executive to discuss the group’s direction. Conversely, he also defended UKGI, asserting that there was no evidence of any employee “ever having deliberately sought to victimise postmasters, hide the truth or engage in any form of cover-up.”