Former Royal Mail CEO Moya Greene accused Paula Vennells of knowing what was going on at the Post Office while its practices were destroying the lives of hundreds of subpostmasters.
During the latest Post Office scandal public inquiry hearing, text exchanges between former Post Office CEO Vennells and Greene were revealed.
Following the broadcast in January of the ITV drama about the scandal, Mr Bates vs the Post Office, Greene, who was Royal Mail CEO from 2010 to 2018, messaged Vennells questioning what she knew about the Horizon problems.
In the iMessage exchange, Greene wrote: “Paula, just back in the UK. What I have learned from the [public] inquiry/parliamentary committee is very damaging.
“When it was clear the system was at fault, the Post Office should have raised a red flag, stopped all proceedings, given people back their money and then try to compensate them for the ruin this caused in their lives.”
After a reply from Vennells about the time it was taking for justice, Greene accused Vennells of being aware of what the Post Office was inflicting upon subpostmasters: “I don’t know what to say, I think you knew.”
Vennells denied this, but Greene said: “I want to believe you. I asked you twice. I suggested you get an independent review reporting to you. I was afraid you were being lied to. You said the system had already been reviewed multiple times. How could you not have known?”
She continued: “I am sorry I now can’t support you. I have supported you all these years to my detriment. I can’t support you now after what I have learned I cannot support you. How could you have not known?”
Vennells told Greene the inquiry would get to the bottom of the scandal and that she was fully supporting it.
Greene criticised the Post Office for not properly supporting the public inquiry. “They dragged their heels, they did not deliver documents, they did not compensate people,” she wrote. She also criticised Vennells for the Post Office appealing against the decision of judge Peter Fraser in the 2018/19 High Court battle, which the subpostmasters won.
• Read more about the fall from grace of Paula Vennells •
• Read more about the Post Office clique that covered up Horizon problems •
When asked by the public inquiry, Vennells said she had always had a good working relationship with Greene while they were in charge of the two organisations.
The Post Office was part of the Royal Mail Group until the two firms separated in 2012. Vennells was a senior ex
