Post Office investigators were only focused on getting money from subpostmasters blamed for accounting shortfalls, according to a 2013 report commissioned by organisation’s legal boss
Post Office employees investigating subpostmasters over unexplained account shortfalls didn’t look into claims that the computer system was to blame, said a 2013 report to the organisation’s general council.
During the latest hearing in the Post Office Horizon scandal statutory public inquiry, former Post Office interim general counsel Chris Aujard was questioned by barrister Flora Page, representing scandal victims, about his knowledge of the practices of the organisation’s internal investigators.
The security department, headed by John Scott at the time, contained the staff responsible for investigating subpostmasters when there were unexplained accounting shortfalls. They would then make recommendations on whether to prosecute subpostmasters.
Between 2000 and 2015, more than 700 subpostmasters were convicted of crimes such as fraud and theft, based on evidence from the Horizon retail and accounting system used in branches, which in 2019 was proved in the High Court to be prone to errors. Over 100 wrongful convictions have so far been overturned and the government has introduced legislation to overturn the remainder.
Aujard was referred to an email he received in January 2014 from Ron Warmington, an independent forensic accountant, containing a draft report that criticised the activities of the security department. Susan Crichton, who was Aujard’s immediate predecessor, had asked Warmington to do the report when she took responsibility for the department, to give her a better understanding of its activities.
• Read about Susan Crichton’s evidence to the public inquiry
• Read a brief history of the Post Office Horizon scandal public inquiry so far
In 2012, Second Sight, where Warmington is a director, had been taken on to carry out an investigation into allegations being made about the Horizon system by subpostmasters who had been blamed for unexplained account shortfalls. The report did not follow interviews with investigators, but was based on Warmington’s extensive knowledge of cases where subpostmasters had been prosecuted after shortfalls.
The report said Post Office investigators and investigations “were overwhelmingly focused on obtaining an admission of false accountin