Postal workers “involved” in the Horizon scandal may “still be working at the heart” of the business, an inquest has heard.
CEO Nick Reid was questioned Thursday about issues surrounding officials who were involved in wrongful prosecutions and investigations of deputy chiefs before 2015.
Jason Beer KC asked whether, during a meeting in January with then Post Office Minister Kevin Hollinrake, the Government had given the “green light” to action against the staff.
Nick Reid replied that it “really sounds like it” but admitted that the Post Office had done it “dragging our feet” and was not “healthy” in acting.
Turning to Mr Reid, Mr Beer then said: “The issue is the potential for individuals who may still be working at the heart of the Post Office who are involved in events of the past, isn’t it?”
Mr Reid replied: “That is the case and, as I have been very clear, when we receive formal allegations we will act. We proactively fought to divert people away from the organization.”
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Hundreds of deputy superintendents were wrongfully convicted because of flawed Horizon computer software used by the Post Office between 1999 and 2015.
In one of his witness statements, Mr Reid also said the Post Office hired the investigators because they had “human rights”.
He wrote that he would have “preferred” that “stronger action” had been taken, and he expressed those views to the board.
He described a “collective decision” not to “simply fire anyone who was, for example, an investigator at the time, but against whom there was no direct evidence of wrongdoing, rather transfer them to other departments.”
He argued that unless wrongdoing could be proven, the Post Office “cannot simply remove existing staff because they were on duty when the miscarriages of justice occurred”.
“These people, of course, have jobs and they do have human rights,” he says.
Three people are being investigated
It emerged on Wednesday that three individuals are currently being investigated by the Post Office and outside agencies for their conduct surrounding the Horizon scandal.
The allegations against the individuals emerged in restorative justice hearings with victims.
The inquiry also heard details of the new contracts in place for deputy postmasters which mention the Postal Service Investigation Unit (POID).
Mr Beer questioned the extent to which the contract was currently adequate to tell deputy chiefs that POID had investigative powers, including “an evidentiary interview process under caution”.
Mr Reid admitted the wording was “heavy-handed” and agreed it needed “addressing, not just rewording”.
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He also told the inquiry it was “amazing” that the Post Office was involved in the administration of compensation schemes.
He said the “corporate view” was that the Post Office should have nothing to do with them.
Asked why this view was not communicated to the inquiry, Mr Reid said: “That’s a good question. I’m not sure why we didn’t make it very explicit… obviously we should have.’
He described it as a “failure”.
The investigation continues.
