Inquiry Into Post Office Horizon System Expanded After Hundreds Falsely Accused of Theft

The investigation into software that left hundreds of sub-postmasters wrongly accused of stealing will be widened, according to a recent announcement by the UK government.  

The announcement comes after the government initially resisted calls for a full public inquiry into the Post Office’s Horizon system scandal that was finally revealed in December of 2019.  

On Wednesday, business minister Paul Scully announced the expanded inquiry into the Post Office’s Horizon system scandal. The inquiry will be given statutory footing, reports The Law Society Gazette. A judge will now investigate not only problems with the Post Office’s software system, but also whether Post Office lawyers wrongfully prosecuted sub-postmasters.  

“The horizon saga has wrecked lives and livelihoods – we can’t undo the damage that has been done but we can establish what went wrong at the Post Office and ensure something like this is never allowed to happen again,” stated Scully in parliament Wednesday.  

Hundreds of sub-postmasters were falsely accused of stealing after the Post Office’s Horizon system created errors showing missing money. The sub-postmasters were blamed for the system’s errors, resulting in terminations and even prosecutions. 

Falsely accused sub-postmasters say that they faced severe financial and legal consequences, including jail time, reports The Law Society Gazette.  

The Post Office is owned by the U.K. government, although it runs as its own business. Originally, the Post Office agreed only to an inquiry into the Horizon system scandal, but not into compensation.  

A civil claim filed by more than 500 falsely accused postmasters settled for £58 million. Only £12 million of that settlement went to claimants, however, according to The Gazette.  

Findings in the newly expanded investigation are expected in 2022, along with an interim report.  

Are you a sub-postmaster that was falsely accused of stealing because of problems with the Post Office’s Horizon system? We want to hear from you! Tell us about your experience in the comment section below.  

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