Post Office: Paula Vennells admits giving incorrect evidence

Former Post Office Head Confesses To Giving False Testimony, Breaks Down In Tears

The former head of the Post Office wept during his testimony.

A journalist who focuses on business, working for the BBC News

The inquiry into the Horizon IT system used by the Post Office Recently, an inquiry has been launched to investigate the Horizon IT system that is utilized by the Post Office.

Paula Vennells, who used to be in charge of the Post Office, has now admitted that what she told Members of Parliament during their investigation of the Horizon IT system's issues back in 2012 was not factual.

Ms Vennells, who had not spoken publicly for nearly a decade, became emotional during questioning regarding the scandal. She admitted that her previous statement claiming that there were no unsuccessful Horizon prosecutions was inaccurate.

Ms Vennells, who was at the center of the Post Office scandal inquiry, made a highly anticipated appearance before a packed audience that included sub-postmasters and post-mistresses. People were eager to hear her testimony.

The inquiry's main lawyer, Jason Beer, questioned the credibility of the information provided by the witness during her testimony to Members of Parliament in June 2012. Specifically, she had claimed that all legal cases regarding Horizon software and sub-postmasters had resulted in a favorable outcome, but Mr. Beer pointed out several instances where this was not the case.

"I now completely acknowledge that the Post Office - I'm sorry," Ms Vennells said as she stopped and tears began to fall.

She stated that the Post Office was aware of it. She fully acknowledged their knowledge. Personally, she had no knowledge of it, and she expresses deep regret for the individuals affected and for the numerous other victims.

Ms Vennells kept apologizing multiple times during the day and cried on four different occasions.

However, there were people in the room who seemed to not believe what was being said. Some of them were shaking their heads, and a few even laughed at the arguments being presented by the lead counsel, Mr. Beer.

From 1999 until 2015, over 900 individuals who managed post offices faced legal action due to Horizon, a flawed computer system, which falsely suggested that funds were absent from their branches.

Several individuals who served as sub-postmasters were incarcerated, and numerous others experienced economic challenges. Unfortunately, a number of them have passed away since that time.

From 2012 to 2019, Ms Vennells held the position of chief executive at the Post Office while sub-postmasters were still being charged despite the ongoing insistence that there were no problems with the Horizon IT software which caused discrepancies in accounts.

This occurred even though there was an increasing amount of proof indicating unjust verdicts.

As she entered Aldwych House, she was greeted by numerous people, cameras and photographers. They immediately began to ask her questions and important details began to surface.

To start off, she apologized but no one responded. She expressed regret, acknowledging the pain inflicted upon sub-postmasters and their loved ones.

As the names of the sub-postmasters and postmistresses who were acquitted of stealing from the Post Office were announced, she became overwhelmed with emotion and began to cry.

According to Ms Vennells, she didn't know that the Post Office carried out their own trials until the year 2012.

The ex-CEO became emotional when responding to inquiries about Martin Griffiths' passing. Griffiths was a former sub-postmaster who tried to commit suicide on September 23, 2013, after being accused of a deficit of £100,000 in his Cheshire location. He passed away a few weeks later in the hospital.

'Hiding The Truth: A Cover-Up'

Ex-sub-postmistress Jo Hamilton informed the BBC that Ms. Vennells was trying to win people over by being friendly and approachable. She declared that she doesn't accept the claim that Ms. Vennells didn't realize that Horizon had issues before her confession.

According to the BBC, Seema Misra made accusations that Ms. Vennells participated in a "cover-up" when she denied having any prior knowledge about Misra's wrongful conviction for false accounting and theft. Misra was incarcerated while she was eight weeks pregnant with her second child.

Some ex-sub-postmasters were also filled with rage.

Harjinder Butoy was imprisoned for 18 months after being mistakenly found guilty of stealing £208,000. He finds it difficult to trust anything the person in question says and doubts the authenticity of their tears.

During the investigation, the authorities were presented with a series of text messages that date back to January of this year. These messages contained communication from the ex-Royal Mail executive, Moya Greene, voicing her belief that Ms. Vennells was aware of the flaws in Horizon's system before she had claims to have been.

After watching an ITV drama that brought the scandal to focus again, there was an exchange of text messages.

According to Dame Greene, if the Post Office realized that the system was not functioning properly, they should have taken immediate action. They should have halted all activities, returned all the funds to the customers affected, and made an effort to compensate them for the devastation caused in their lives.

Ms. Vennells stated that she concurs with the fact that the process is taking much longer than anticipated, Moya. The detrimental impact on all those involved is woeful. I wish you a pleasant break and hope that you are keeping well. Best wishes, Paula.

After that, Dame Greene penned down: "I am unsure about what words to use. I believe that you were already aware of it."

Ms Vennells responded by saying, "Moya, that's not true."

'Unbelievable: You Don't Know?'

Mr Beer inquired from Ms Vennells, "Is it possible that you were unaware?"

Ms. Vennells expressed that the circumstance is incredibly intricate, and it is a query that she has pondered on herself.

As a result of the investigation, I've gained new knowledge that I was previously unaware of. I anticipate we'll delve into the specifics of what I've discovered. I do regret not having this information beforehand.

As she offered her apologies to sub-postmasters, activists, and even to the inquiry itself, a number of people, some of whom were sub-postmasters, did not utter a word and a few of them shook their heads in disagreement.

According to her, she was deeply moved by the personal testimonies of individuals impacted by the scandal.

Ms Vennells expressed regret for her actions towards Alan Bates, an advocate for the cause, Second Sight – a team of specialists in financial investigation who were dismissed by the Post Office after exposing faults in their Horizon system, and Lord Arbuthnot, who has also spoken out in support of sub-postmasters.

During an inquiry, Mr Beer asked the ex-CEO of the Post Office if she believed she held the title of the most unfortunate CEO in the UK. This was in relation to her statements as a witness, where she mentioned not being informed about Horizon, missing out on certain documents, and being assured about the efficiency of the IT system by the Post Office staff.

She stated that she had received a lot of information, and the inquiry has discovered that there was also information that was not given to her and others did not receive.

She mentioned that she had placed too much trust and that it was disheartening when certain details were not disclosed.