Post Office inquiry latest: Former executive quizzed on sub-postmaster who took his own life after theft accusation

Review: Non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) are not meant to be silencing clauses.

As a business reporter, Adele Robinson wrote a section for a blog.

It's important to keep in mind that NDAs are a common occurrence in the world of business.

It's hard to accept reasons for them under these circumstances.

These clauses should not be utilized as a means of silencing individuals.

It seems that the Post Office would continuously demand them.

A common tactic used in all settlement agreements.

Angela van den Bogerd is standing up for her past employer by stating that their method of handling the situation was not to conceal it, but rather their standard practice.

It's possible that her statement holds some truth, though it's challenging to align it with the broader context of the unfairness that we're all familiar with.

The Post Office has been known to insist on Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) while negotiating settlement agreements. This has become a standard practice, which means that any employee who accepts such an agreement cannot speak up about their experience in the future. Several employees, who have been wrongly accused of financial misconduct, have been pressurized to sign settlement agreements with an NDA clause. This shields the Post Office from negative publicity and makes it challenging for employees to seek justice. Despite this, several employees have come forward to share their experiences, thereby exposing the unethical practices followed by the Post Office.

Angela van den Bogerd is being investigated for her decision to include a non-disclosure agreement in the settlement agreement with Martin Griffiths' widow.

She explains to the investigation that this was simply the method used by the Post Office.

"Let's pause and reconsider the response of the autonomous individual," suggests Mr. Beer, as he requests that she clarify her explanation once more.

According to Ms van den Bogerd, she simply acknowledged that this was the usual way of handling settlement agreements and that it continues to be the case today, as far as she knows.

The Post Office has reportedly contemplated taking legal action against the estate of a former postmaster who was frequently tardy in his accounting, alleging that money is unaccounted for.

During the inquiry, it was revealed that the Post Office had contemplated legal action against Martin Griffiths' heirs after his passing. This was due to alleged monetary discrepancies reported to have occurred at his branch.

In a blog post, it was stated that Jason Beer KC retrieved an email from Rodric Williams dated January 2015. The email contained a proposed settlement agreement for Williams' family which included a discussion about taking legal action.

"At this moment, the matter is not settled. Are you still considering taking legal action against his inheritance?" questioned Mr. Beer to Angela van den Bogerd.

"It wasn't settled yet, so at the time Martin passed away - if my memory serves me right - the unpaid balance was still present on his account, and the theft of £7,000 or any amount similar to that," she explains.

However, I had no plan to regain any of it, and we failed to do so.

The barrister had no tolerance for the former executive's unintelligible speech right from the beginning, labeling it as 'word soup'.

Jason Beer KC persistently questions Angela van den Bogerd about whether the Post Office's compensation offer to Martin Griffiths' family relied on them dropping any potential legal proceedings.

She hasn't given a straightforward response to this inquiry yet.

The guy named Mr. Beer wants to know if the family has another claim with Second Sight about Horizon system issues. He asked if compensation is linked with dropping this claim.

According to her, the network transformation was a comprehensive undertaking that encompassed all aspects.

He responds with confusion, stating "I don't understand, that sentence doesn't make sense. Ms. van den Bogerd, my understanding was that the payment was dependent on the family retracting their claim from the mediation. Is this not correct?"

"Certainly, as that was how the payment for the network transformation was established," she affirms.

The daughter of a postman is feeling very upset with the Post Office following her father's passing. She is disgusted with the way they have treated her family during this time.

Recently, in Jason Beer's blog post, he discussed how Lauren Griffiths, daughter of Martin Griffiths, reached out to the Post Office one year after her father's passing. Lauren expressed her strong disapproval of how her family was treated, describing the situation as "disgusting."

According to Ms. Griffiths, her mother faced financial difficulties due to her work struggles, and she expressed disapproval towards the company for not providing enough aid. Additionally, she expressed that the Post Office was fully accountable for her father's passing.

In her correspondence, she also mentioned that the Post Office had proposed to pay £140,000 in compensation, on the condition that her family withdraws their legal challenge against the organization.

"Mr. Beer is inquiring as to why the loss of office amount was deemed suitable to provide to Mr. Griffiths' spouse and family?"

According to Angela van den Bogerd, Mr Griffiths had expressed a desire to leave the Post Office by enrolling in its network transformation programme before his death. However, he received a notice of contract termination three months before he passed away, which made him ineligible to receive any payment for leaving the company.

Assessment: Focus on safeguarding the brand and disregard empathy.

Adele Robinson, a reporter who specializes in business news, wrote this section.

What's happening right now is difficult to observe.

It appears that the Post Office's reputation has taken precedence over everything else.

The article talks about the story of Martin Griffiths, who committed suicide because he was falsely accused of theft.

The organization seems to have placed more importance on its appearance than anything else, indicating a strong emphasis on branding and public perception.

The postal service was attempting to retrieve funds from the assistant postmaster who had experienced an armed theft, as it believed that his branch lacked proper security.

Basically holding him accountable for the burglary.

It is quite surprising that this has occurred repeatedly throughout the years.

During the questioning, Angela van den Bogerd maintained a composed demeanor.

To put it mildly, this gives us a negative understanding of the thought process that led to Post Office choices.

The Post Office requested for a lawyer to be arranged while the sub-postmaster was hospitalized.

In the blog, it was mentioned that an email was presented in the investigation. This email was sent by Alan Bates, who is an activist, to the higher authorities of the Post Office. In the email, it was written that Martin Griffiths had become seriously unwell as he walked into the traffic. Bates had claimed that it was because of the violent actions taken against him.

Next, we are presented with an electronic message from ex-public relations leader Mark Davies to several high-ranking members of the Post Office, Angela van den Bogerd included. The correspondence was dispatched when Mr. Griffiths was hospitalized.

He talks about the possible involvement of the media in Mr Griffiths' case and requests for a lawyer to be prepared.

Jason Beer from KC confronted Ms. van den Bogerd, stating that the email implied that there wasn't any urgency regarding Mr. Griffiths' well-being.

"I haven't mentioned it yet in this specific email exchange," she answers.

"Did the Post Office's initial response involve considering ways to assist this man's family, or was it something else?"

"I have to admit that I don't agree with that at the moment," she agrees.

Ms van den Bogerd explained afterward that executives received two different notifications that were running at the same time. The first notification indicated that there had been a road accident, while the second notification indicated that Mr. Griffiths had intentionally hurt himself.

However, Mr. Beer asserts that she is referring to communication that occurred "at a much later time."

He inquires about the experience of working in the Post Office and how it felt like when the immediate concern was to have a legal expert in the field of media.

According to Ms van den Bogerd, it wasn't the initial idea, but it was definitely taken into account during all of our PR and communication planning.

A sub-postmaster was held responsible for a robbery that occurred at his branch, and a few months later, he committed suicide. A post office owner was deemed accountable for a theft that happened at his establishment. He subsequently took his own life a few months later.

Jason Beer from KC discusses a theft that happened at Martin Griffiths' store in Cheshire in May of 2013.

During the investigation, it was discovered by the Post Office that he was responsible for the theft and was requested to pay a penalty of over £7,000, which represented 20% of the money stolen.

According to Angela van den Bogerd, there was a belief that he was not following specific protocols during that period.

Next, Mr Beer goes over the details surrounding the passing of Mr Griffiths during the autumn months of that same year.

He sustained severe injuries from being hit by traffic in September 2013, which led to his hospitalization and placement on life-support for three weeks before his eventual demise. The coroner determined that he had made the decision to end his life.

If you are experiencing emotional difficulties or considering suicide, you can seek assistance from Samaritans by dialing 116 123 or sending an email to [email protected] in the UK. In the US, contact the Samaritans facility located in your district or call 1 (800) 273-TALK.

The parents of a former sub-postmaster provided their life savings to help him with financial deficits.

At the outset, Jason Beer KC is speaking with Angela van den Bogerd regarding the matter of Martin Griffiths - a prior sub-postmaster.

The head of the Cheshire branch had been managing it for a period of 14 years until some issues came up in 2009. He was blamed for the disappearance of a reported £100,000 while he was under depression.

Matthew, the son of Mr Griffiths, had stated earlier that his father ended his own life in September 2013 due to this reason.

During the investigation, a letter addressed to the Post Office from Mr. Griffiths on July 17, 2013, requesting the board to look into his case, was presented as evidence.

His mother, who was in her 80s back in 31 July 2013, penned a letter to the Post Office stating that her son was under an immense amount of stress.

According to her, she had to do additional work to assist him in managing the finances as there were some discrepancies in the report. This was done to make sure everything was accounted for and balanced.

According to Mr. Beer, Mr Griffiths' mother and her partner were utilizing their savings to provide financial assistance to their son.

Angela van den Bogerd is currently providing testimony for the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry for the second day.

Lawyer Jason Beer KC is still examining the witness.