Post Office investigators viewed sub-postmasters as “enemies”, draft report reveals

Post Office investigators viewed sub-postmasters as “enemies” and failed to properly investigate their claims of innocence or software faults, a 2014 draft report has revealed. The report, conducted by forensic accountants, highlighted an “adversarial” approach by the company at the time, leading to hundreds of sub-postmasters being prosecuted for offences based on faulty Horizon software.

Former top Post Office lawyer, Chris Aujard, admitted to an inquiry into the Horizon IT scandal that the security team did not link reports of software faults by sub-postmasters. The draft report raised serious concerns about the investigations, stating that investigators viewed sub-postmasters as guilty without seeking the truth.

The report suggested that investigators were more focused on recovering money from sub-postmasters through false accounting convictions rather than understanding the root cause of discrepancies. This approach alienated sub-postmasters, who felt cheated by the Post Office and became enemies of the business.

Despite the alarming findings in the report, Mr. Aujard claimed that he did not take immediate action as the document was marked as a draft and heavily caveated. The inquiry also heard evidence of attempts to prevent disclosure of Horizon bugs and allegations of shredding documents to hide information related to the scandal.

The inquiry further revealed that former Post Office advisers were aware of potential dishonesty by a key witness in court cases against sub-postmasters but failed to inform the authorities. The lack of transparency and accountability in handling the Horizon IT scandal has raised serious questions about the conduct of Post Office investigators and legal advisers.

As the inquiry continues to uncover the extent of the wrongdoing, former sub-postmasters and their representatives are seeking justice and accountability for the injustices they have faced. The revelations from the 2014 draft report shed light on the systemic failures within the Post Office that led to the wrongful prosecution of innocent individuals.