Sub-postmasters cleared.

[Chippy_Tea]

They have lived with a criminal record for 14 years they are now cleared.
I hope they get a huge amount in compensation unfortunately those that have died since wont benefit but their families will.

The judge said the Post Office steamrollered over the sub-postmasters.

Six Sub-postmasters wrongly accused of theft and fraud because of an IT error have become the first to have their convictions quashed. The Post Office had earlier said it would not oppose attempts to overturn the convictions of 44 sub-postmasters. The convictions, which were based on evidence provided by a faulty IT system, were "unsafe", the Post Office admitted.

 

[The Baron]

What a stitch up I think anybody with any sense could read between the lines but they would not admit it was their system that was wrong.
So sad how many lives and relationships has this broken, compensation will not get this back no matter how much

 

[Chippy_Tea]

What a stitch up I think anybody with any sense could read between the lines but they would not admit it was their system that was wrong.

Spot on the judge even said - "the Post Office steamrollered over the sub-postmasters"

Lets hope the other 44 are cleared and they get the compensation they deserve.

 

[Clint]

I wonder how much they'll get? I bet the PO will claim poverty.

 

[Random Badger]

I wonder how much they'll get? I bet the PO will claim poverty.

Has anyone seen the price of stamps these days? That's the real crime!

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Money must be tight they cannot afford to give their workers trousers in winter.

 

[Norfolk79]

It’s those in charge of the post office at the time who should be sent to prison. I’m sure they’ll get off Scott free though, after having salaries worth millions of pounds paid to them at the time.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

It’s those in charge of the post office at the time who should be sent to prison. I’m sure they’ll get off Scott free though, after having salaries worth millions of pounds paid to them at the time.

You are right they have ignored these x employees for years and they were responsible for ruining their lives its time they stood up and took responsibility for what they did to them.

 

[Galena]

Sheer arrogance by management of the post office, their needs to a full inquiry and those responsible brought to justice.

 

[Crappyfish]

Sad thing is a couple have passed away never had chance to see their names cleared. Absolute scandel.

 

[Slid]

A former colleague of mine was familiar with the PO system and it has been known, or at least suspected, of being unfit for purpose for some considerable time. It seems to be an example of "collective delusion" where no-one in a position of authority in the PO could even imagine that the system was faulty, in the same way no-one dared point out that the "Emperor's New Clothes" did not cover his modesty.

 

[James]

There’s a bbc world service podcast on it that is well worth listening to, it’s been on the radio recently as well. The link is to parts 1-5. Worth googling Paula Vennells as well.
The Great Post Office Trial - Parts 1-5 - BBC Sounds

 

[marshbrewer]

Working in IT, I can remember when Computer Weekly started to run with this story. That was 2009.

It's a story that chills to the bone; ignorant legal system that doesn't really understand IT, arrogant Post Office determined to gloss over an obviously failing system, and honest, hard working people crushed under a system stacked against them.

There needs to be a public enquiry into this - the Post Office is an organ of the state despite its attempts to portray itself as a company, and if those in charge have maliciously prosecuted people simple to cover up their organizations failings, they need to be punished.

 

[Cwrw666]

I've been listening to the BBC programmes about it on radio 4 - seems like even when the top brass knew there was a fault in the IT they continued to prosecute subpostmasters and pretend everything was still ok.

 

[Clint]

That woman who was in charge of the PO at the time and refused to accept the system was rubbish and persued these people was given an award of some kind for "services" to whatever it was...she should go to prison. Or be thrashed with electric cables..

 

[dad_of_jon]

It systems are prone to issues and It is terrible this action was taken. Whenever there was an element of doubt with an it system I was responsible for Vs a user I would take the users side. Of course CCTV footage showing someone doing something liable to disciplinary action excepted. When called to do staff investigations I would focus on finding information to exonorate rather than convict.

 

[marshbrewer]

That woman who was in charge of the PO at the time and refused to accept the system was rubbish and persued these people was given an award of some kind for "services" to whatever it was...she should go to prison. Or be thrashed with electric cables..

Aye, she got a KBE, I believe, for 'services to the postal industry' or something very similar. That needs revisiting at the very least.

Then the thrashing with cables.

 

[531Man]

I've been listening to the BBC programmes about it on radio 4 - seems like even when the top brass knew there was a fault in the IT they continued to prosecute subpostmasters and pretend everything was still ok.

The BBC investigative series showed how unjustifiably the P. O. pursued the sub-posmasters. The travesty I especially remember was how each and every one of them was told by the revenue 'recovery' and prosecution team that, "You are the only person that can access this account and no one else has any accounting problems, so you are personally responsible for any money not in the till" which wasn't short in reality. All total bare-faced lies, and the PO senior management knew the IT providers were aware of software problems and having to go into the many post masters accounts to make error corrections that they had spotted. But not all were spotted nor corrected.
The PO was only interested in revenue hunting of sums that WERE NOT MISSING in the first place! Makes me spit.
This person should have her CBE removed.
And this says she is an Anglican priest to boot! How can she look herself in the mirror I don't know.
Paula Anne Vennells, CBE (born 1959), is a British businesswoman and Anglican priest. She was chief executive officer (CEO) of the Post Office Limited from 2012 to 2019. Under her leadership, the Post Office prosecuted hundreds of subpostmasters for fraud, despite knowing that the financial discrepancies were actually arising from computer errors for which her own company was responsible.

 

[Chippy_Tea]

Judges have quashed the convictions of 39 former postmasters after the PostOfficeScandal.
A flawed computer system meant some postmasters were convicted of theft, fraud and false accounting.
Mohammad Rasul had his name cleared after 15 years.

 

[531Man]

Judges have quashed the convictions of 39 former postmasters after the PostOfficeScandal.
A flawed computer system meant some postmasters were convicted of theft, fraud and false accounting.
Mohammad Rasul had his name cleared after 15 years.

View attachment 45948

Now sue your managers who don't know their own father's.