Post Office inquiry live updates: Inquiry to hear from former investigator – BBC News

Let’s remind ourselves of the basics when it comes to how this story unfolded.

More than 900 sub-postmasters were prosecuted on charges including theft and false accounting due to a faulty IT software – developed by Fujitsu – called Horizon, in what has been called the UK’s most widespread miscarriage of justice.

The Post Office itself took many cases to court, prosecuting 700 people between 1999 and 2015. Another 283 cases were brought by other bodies, including the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

Some went to prison and others were financially ruined.

In 2017, a group of 555 sub-postmasters took legal action against the Post Office via the High Court. Two years later, it agreed to pay them £58m in compensation, but much of the money went on legal fees.

A draft report uncovered by the BBC shows the Post Office spent £100m fighting the group in court despite knowing its defence was untrue. The Post Office said it would be “inappropriate” to comment.

Although campaigners won the right for cases to be reconsidered, only 95 convictions had been overturned by mid-January 2024.

The Post Office inquiry heard from two former executives at the company, with their evidence focusing largely on what they knew about the Horizon IT system. Let’s take a look at what they said:

• David Miller, a former managing director of the Post Office, said he regretted a “missed opportunity” in 2004 when he did not read a report by an IT expert (ordered in the case of former sub-postmistress Julie Wolstenholme) which found Horizon to be “clearly defective” – acknowledging that if he had done so he could have taken action to address the issues
• A lawyer representing a group of sub-postmasters asked Miller if he was “incompetent” or “lying through [his] teeth” about not having read the report – he denied he was lying
• Minutes of a meeting in 1999 showed that Miller had told the board that Horizon was “robust” – despite issues having already been flagged – something he conceded he should not have said
• David Mills, who took over as CEO in 2002 and left at the end of 2005, acknowledged the Horizon system was integral to how the Post Office was operating during his tenure, saying it would have been “crisis mode” if the company had to go back to the drawing board on the system
• He highlighted serious financial challenges facing the Post Office when he was CEO, saying he inherited a “burning ship” and that his priority at the time was saving the business
• Mills said he was not aware the Post Office could prosecute its workers until almost the end of his time there

Today’s session kicks off with former Post Office investigator Jon Longman.

He should’ve given evidence in phase four but his appearance was delayed due to late disclosure of documents by the Post Office.

He was involved in Seema Misra’s case, who was wrongly convicted and jailed while pregnant in 2010.

We’ve already heard a lot about the failures in her high-profile case. He’ll face questions about it, too.

Then we’ll hear from City grandee Allan Leighton, who became chairman of Royal Mail in 2002.

For most of his lengthy stint, he was a double act with former CEO Adam Crozier. They were tasked with modernising the business. Leighton led the board before it split from the Post Office.

He left before the first media report in Computer Weekly on the Horizon scandal. What did he know about the Horizon problems?

Copyright: Getty Images

Good morning. I’m here at Aldwych House in central London for the latest evidence session in the ongoing Post Office Horizon IT inquiry.

We’ll be providing rolling updates and analysis throughout the day, as well as giving a bit of background on the wider issues.

First to take questions today is former Post Office investigator Jon Longman, who we’re expecting to hear from at about 10:00 BST.

Then later on it will be the turn of former Post Office chairman Allan Leighton – a familiar name in the business world, having also served as CEO of Asda and currently in post as chairman of Pizza Express.

Stay with us for updates.