(qlmbusinessnews.com Thurs. 10th Oct, 2024) London, UK —
Post Office Boss Nick Read Rejects Claims of ‘Untouchables' in Horizon IT Scandal
Post Office CEO Nick Read Asserts No Staff Member is ‘Above the Law' Amid Horizon IT Scandal Inquiry
The Chief Executive of the Post Office, Nick Read, has firmly stated that no employee is “above the law,” denying the existence of so-called “untouchables” within the organisation who would evade disciplinary action over the wrongful prosecution of hundreds of postmasters. This statement comes as the public inquiry into the Horizon IT scandal continues.
Nick Read, who took over as CEO in 2019 with a commitment to “right the wrongs of the past,” was questioned on the use of the term “untouchables” within the Post Office. It had been reported that he used the term to describe a group of investigators involved in the wrongful prosecution of postmasters, who were believed to be beyond accountability.
During his testimony, Read responded to internal emails and whistleblower claims, some of which suggested that around 120 employees were implicated to varying degrees in the unjust prosecution of subpostmasters. The errors stemmed from the Horizon IT system, which caused financial discrepancies that led to the wrongful convictions.
In a phone call with non-executive directors Saf Ismail and Elliott Jacobs, Read allegedly referred to a group of 40 investigators as “untouchables.” However, Read refuted this, saying, “No one is untouchable, and no one is above the law.” He emphasised his aim to foster transparency within the organisation and downplayed any notion of a protected group of investigators.
The inquiry was also shown documents revealing that the work history of 1,700 Post Office employees had been audited, identifying 35 current staff members who had past involvement in roles related to the Horizon scandal. Some of these individuals are now involved in the compensation scheme or work on the current public inquiry. However, no allegations of misconduct have been made against them.
When asked if any staff involved in past improper investigations were now handling compensation claims, Read acknowledged that it was possible but assured the inquiry that no wrongdoing had come to his attention regarding individuals currently working in postmaster-facing roles.
Additionally, Read addressed concerns within the Post Office that some of the hundreds of postmasters recently exonerated might still be guilty. While he conceded that not every overturned conviction might imply innocence, he maintained that the exonerations were justified and accepted by the majority of the organisation.
Nick Read is set to provide evidence over three days as the inquiry seeks to uncover the full extent of the Horizon IT scandal, which wrongfully implicated many postmasters in financial discrepancies.
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