The put up workplace scandal extends “significantly past” defective Horizon software program, in response to a lawyer for victims.
Paul Marshall, representing former sub-postmasters, says issues with third get together programs in branches, akin to ATMs, have been “ignored”.
A 2013 report commissioned by the Put up Workplace, and never made public on the time, states: “Eradicating the ATM reduces the chance of (the sub-postmaster) being suspended… as does the presence of lottery tickets, (banking) providers, and DVLA processing.”
It signifies there have been points recognized to the Put up Workplace with third get together programs inside branches – separate to Horizon software program.
Barrister Paul Marshall believes, because of this, there are “no convictions” secured by the Put up Workplace in opposition to any sub-postmaster “that would or ought to correctly be handled as protected”.
He says proof of third get together errors, akin to ATMs, exhibits “the scandal extends significantly past, significantly past, it is perhaps mentioned, the restricted focus of bugs in Horizon”.
Blanket exoneration laws being launched this summer time will solely quash convictions caused “by inaccurate Horizon proof”.
Mr Marshall asserts that postmasters who’ve had appeals in opposition to convictions rejected by the Court docket of Attraction could have misplaced as a result of their offences did not fall inside the “slender scope” of Horizon points.
“Horizon was the one accounting system,” says Mr Marshall, “so different programs like ATM machines, financial institution giro funds, pension funds, lottery tickets, they’re all processed by Horizon, however they weren’t Horizon.”
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Evaluate into one other Put up Workplace system
“The place adopted by the Court docket of Attraction,” he states, “is that if this can be a Horizon shortfall case, that’s the sole foundation you possibly can have your conviction overturned.
“However you may lose your online business and have an accounting shortfall that has acquired completely nothing to do with Horizon.”
The report by Detica, a consulting division of BAE programs, concluded that “Put up Workplace programs usually are not match for goal in a contemporary retail and monetary surroundings”.
Chirag Siphura’s case – ATM shortfalls
Chirag Sidhpura obtained interim compensation final yr
Chirag Siphura was threatened with prosecution for ATM shortfalls at his department in Surrey in 2017, 4 years after the Put up Workplace obtained the Detica report.
He was ordered to pay £57,000.
Final yr he obtained interim compensation, with Put up Workplace accepting it was a “Horizon associated” difficulty.
He says that the banks “used to have the ability to entry the ATM remotely”, and that they’d perform updates, “however the place the updates occurred remotely the figures had been at all times thrown out”.
Mr Siphura describes how the Put up Workplace “at all times believed the figures that the ATM was giving had been 100% right”.
“If the financial institution got here again and mentioned ‘no, this determine will not be right’,” he continues, “then the Put up Workplace will at all times take their phrase over our phrase.
“And we’d then need to provide you with proof to display their figures are fallacious.”
With an IT background Chirag was capable of finally examine.
IT professional Jason Coyne: Many extra impacted.
Jason Coyne believes believes many extra individuals affected by third get together programs could not have come ahead
IT professional Jason Coyne, employed by Alan Bates and different sub-postmasters, submitted a report as a part of their Excessive Court docket case in 2016.
He describes asking the Put up Workplace for info associated to 3rd get together programs, akin to ATMs.
“They’d try to withstand my request for info,” he says, “as a result of what they’d say is that this is not Horizon info and subsequently it is outdoors of the Horizon trial.”
He says that the Excessive Court docket choose on the time, Mr Justice Fraser, was “rightly making an attempt to maintain the Horizon trial simply concerning the Horizon system”.
“However what he did not know on the time,” he continues, “…is that every one of those third get together programs had been completely crucial to Horizon’s operation” so it was “fallacious of Put up Workplace to forestall us entry to these paperwork.”
Mr Coyne believes “many extra individuals” affected by third get together programs could not have come ahead thus far – separate to these already recognized as having Horizon points.
Wendy Cousins case: “My spouse died completely harmless”.
Wendy Cousins is proven on her wedding ceremony day. Pic: Paul Cousins
Wendy Cousins was convicted of stealing £13,000, regarding pension funds, from her department in 2005.
Judges on the Court docket of Attraction dominated that the Horizon pc software program had not been “important” to her prosecution, and upheld her conviction.
She died in February 2022 – lower than a yr later.
Her husband Paul says he believes her conviction “was a consider her untimely dying” from most cancers.
“She was handled as a prison proper from the very begin,” he says, “…they caught an indication on the door saying ‘Closed’.”
Paul Cousins says Wendy was persuaded to plead responsible to flee jail.
He’s satisfied of her innocence and desires her case reviewed once more.
“My hope could be that Wendy might be exonerated,” he says.
A Put up Workplace spokesperson mentioned: “We’re deeply sorry for the ache which has been suffered by so many individuals all through the Horizon IT Scandal.”
They added: “We stay centered on supporting the inquiry.”
In an announcement the Division for Enterprise and Commerce mentioned it was “dedicated to righting the fallacious of the previous and have launched pressing laws to overturn the convictions of lots of of postmasters earlier than the summer time.
“If any additional injustices emerge, these might be thought of by the Legal Complaints Evaluate Fee, which might ask the Court docket of Attraction to overturn convictions,” the assertion added.
