I have been studying by means of elements of Alan Cook dinner’s witness assertion – which has simply been made accessible to members of the press.
Sam Stevens, counsel for the inquiry, is taking Cook dinner by means of elements of that assertion, specifically surrounding his data in regards to the prosecutions of sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses throughout his tenure.
As we now know, one of many key problems with this scandal is the very fact the Publish Workplace itself was prosecuting numerous these instances.
Cook dinner says it’s certainly one of his regrets that he didn’t know the Publish Workplace was the prosecuting authority in round two thirds of the instances.
He argues the language utilized in Publish Workplace documentation didn’t make it clear that the Publish Workplace had initiated proceedings.
However Stevens says minutes from one Publish Workplace board assembly outlined the corporate has a “precept of enterprise legal prosecutions”.
Cook dinner says he’s “not blaming others for this” however he had not earlier than encountered a conditions the place a buying and selling entity may provoke its personal legal proceedings.
Requested what he would have mentioned had he recognized, he says he would have been “uncomfortable” over questions of independence and would have spelled out the dangers.
