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Ex-Post Office chief executive Paula Vennells has been accused of crying ‘crocodile tears’ by a union as she struggled to answer questions during her testimony to the Horizon IT scandal inquiry.
In the first of three days of testimony, Ms Vennells insisted she did not know until 2012 that the Post Office conducted its own private criminal investigations, despite joining the organisation in 2007.
She broke down in tears when asked about her response to the death of former subpostmaster Martin Griffiths, who died following an attempted suicide in 2013 and there were long pauses before she answered some questions put to her.
The CWU union, that represents Post Office workers posted a video on X, adding: “Crocodile tears Paula Vennells must be held to account.”
More than 700 subpostmasters were wrongly prosecuted and handed criminal convictions between 1999 and 2015 as a result of Fujitsu’s faulty Horizon IT system – which made it appear as though money was missing at their branches.
Key Points
- Teary Paula Vennells struggles to answer questions on first day of evidence
- Ex-Post Office boss insists she was ‘too trusting’ of information given to her
- Vennells escorted by police as she arrives to testify at inquiry
- ‘The world’s listening’: Bankrupted subpostmaster demands ‘the truth’
- Which key questions could Vennells be asked during rare testimony?
Paula Vennells shown damning text from ex-Royal Mail chief over Post Office scandal
Paula Vennells has been confronted with a damning text from the former chief executive of the Royal Mail suggesting she knew about flaws in the Horizon IT system used by the Post Office.
“I think you knew,” the ex-Post Office boss was told by Canadian-born Moya Greene, who was in charge of the Royal Mail for eight years.
Ms Vennells replied, telling Ms Greene: “No Moya, that isn’t the case.”
But, in an exchange of messages shown to the official Post Office Horizon IT inquiry, Ms Greene told Ms Vennells she could no longer support her “after what I have learned”.
Archie Mitchell reports:
Paula Vennells shown damning text from ex-Royal Mail chief: ‘I think you knew’
‘I think you knew,’ the ex-Post Office boss was told by Canadian-born Moya Greene, who was in charge of the Royal Mail for eight years
Andy Gregory22 May 2024 23:41 1716415030Watch: Paula Vennells claims she was ‘too trusting’ when asked if she was UK’s ‘unluckiest CEO’
Vennells ‘did not register’ briefing on remote Horizon data removal
Paula Vennells said she “did not register” a briefing given before she gave evidence to the select committee which said that if she was pushed further when being questioned she could say there was “functionality” in Horizon for the Post Office or Fujitsu to edit, manipulate or remove transaction data once it has been recorded in a branch’s accounts.
She added that she “did not reach a conclusion” that meant she was giving “inaccurate information to the select committee”.
Andy Gregory22 May 2024 22:16 1716409990Met Police says he has been assured Met Police will probe Horizon scandal
Campaigner Alan Bates said he met “senior” Metropolitan Police staff on Wednesday morning to discuss possible prosecutions following the Post Office Horizon scandal.
He said: “They certainly are going to investigate, I’ve had that assurance and I think the group needs that as an assurance and it’s something that we’ve never been certain of until today.”
Andy Gregory22 May 2024 21:33 1716406870Paula Vennells accepts statements she made to MPs were wrong
Paula Vennells said she accepts statements made in her letters to MPs in response to questions about Horizon were wrong, in her first witness statement.
Ms Vennells was asked by the inquiry to comment on statements in her letters to three MPs, including: saying to Nicholas Brown MP that “the system has proved to be very robust since its introduction”; a statement to Mike Weir MP that the Post Office was “fully confident that the Horizon computer system ... enabled sub postmasters to account accurately for the transactions they undertake in their branch”; and her statement to Mike Weir MP that “there is no evidence at all that the Horizon system has in some way been at fault with respect to any financial irregularities discovered in a sub postmasters account”.
She said she “believed these statements to be true”, adding they were “justified by specialist knowledge, because I understood that these statements came from, or were approved by, senior specialist managers with detailed knowledge of the Horizon system and the operation of SPM accounts”.
Ms Vennells added: “I accept that these statements were wrong”.
Andy Gregory22 May 2024 20:41 1716404290Paula Vennells accused of asking team to ‘dig into’ dead man’s records
Paula Vennells has been accused of asking her team to “dig into” the records of Martin Griffiths, who stepped in front of a bus after being sacked from his Post Office branch in 2013.
The former Post Office chief was quizzed at the inquiry into the Horizon IT scandal about an email she sent after his suicide attempt suggesting she had heard about “previous mental health and family issues”.
In the email to Post Office executives, Ms Vennells said: “Can you let me know what background we have on Martin? I had heard, but have yet to see a formal report, that there were previously mental health issues and potential family issues.”
Inquiry lead counsel Jason Beer KC asked if Ms Vennells was asking her team to “dig into Mr Griffiths’ health records to look for information or evidence that he took his life because of mental issues or family issues?”
Our political correspondent Archie Mitchell reports:
Paula Vennells accused of asking team to ‘dig into’ dead man’s records
The former Post Office chief was quizzed about an email she sent after Martin Griffiths’ suicide attempt suggesting she had heard about ‘previous mental health and family issues’
Andy Gregory22 May 2024 19:58 1716402130Watch: Paula Vennells cries as she gives evidence at Post Office Horizon IT inquiry
Subpostmaster told Paula Vennels: ‘I do wonder what kind of god you worship'
A former subpostmaster who tried to warn the Post Office about the Horizon IT system emailed Paula Vennells when she was chief executive, saying: “I do wonder what kind of god you worship”.
In 2015, Tim McCormack wrote to Ms Vennells, an ordained priest, warning her that he had “clear and unquestionable evidence of an intermittent bug in Horizon that can and does cause thousands of pounds in losses to subpostmasters”.
Giving evidence at the inquiry, Ms Vennells denied sharing the view of Post Office lawyer Rodric Williams that Mr McCormack was a bluffer but said she did not recall what she did about the subpostmaster’s email.
The probe heard Mr McCormack sent another message to Ms Vennells in July 2016, saying: “A typical head in the sand reply from the team you have placed too much trust in. Once the police investigation is completed it is highly likely, indeed probable, that members of your staff will be sent to prison. Your role in this will not escape attention.”
He added: “I do wonder what kind of god you worship.”
Andy Gregory22 May 2024 18:49 1716398470Alan Bates says he has ‘no sympathy’ for Paula Vennells
Campaigner Alan Bates has said he has “no sympathy” for Paula Vennells after her tears.
Speaking outside Aldwych House after Ms Vennells gave evidence, Mr Bates said: “The whole thing is upsetting for everybody, including for so many of the victims. I’ve got no sympathy really.”
Asked if he thinks she is genuinely sorry, he added: “I wonder about these apologies, these are just words.”
Andy Gregory22 May 2024 18:21 1716396970Paula Vennells evidence ‘like figure skating on head of a pin’, says Alan Bates
Campaigner Alan Bates has said Paula Vennells’ evidence was “like figure skating on the head of a pin”.
Speaking outside Aldwych House after Ms Vennells gave evidence, Mr Bates said: “It was a bit like figure skating on the head of a pin all day, isn’t hindsight a wonderful thing?
“It’s only the first day of three so I don’t know where we’ll get to but it was good to see her on the stand.”
Andy Gregory22 May 2024 17:56 Newer1 / 9OlderDisclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.
