Metropolitan Police Probe ‘Potential Fraud Offenses’ in Historic Post Office Scandal

The Metropolitan Police are currently investigating possible fraud offenses in connection with the notorious Post Office scandal, where numerous employees were wrongfully convicted due to flawed software. This scandal has gained renewed attention following the broadcast of the TV series “Mr Bates vs the Post Office” in the U.K., which highlighted the issue and brought forth new potential victims.

The investigation, initiated by the Met Police in January 2020 after a referral from the Director of Public Prosecutions, initially focused on potential perjury and perverting the course of justice in the Post Office’s prosecutions and investigations. This inquiry delves into the involvement of Fujitsu Horizon, the software implicated in the scandal, and its impact on the Post Office’s operations.

The investigation is examining the actions taken by the Post Office, particularly regarding money recovered from sub-postmasters through prosecutions or civil actions. So far, two individuals have been interviewed as part of the police investigation.

TIME magazine sought comments from the Post Office on this matter.

The scandal is notorious for being one of the most significant miscarriages of justice in British history, as highlighted by the Criminal Cases Review Commission. Hundreds of post office workers were inaccurately accused of financial discrepancies due to the faulty software, leading to what the Commission described as the “biggest single series of wrongful convictions in British legal history.”

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, speaking on the BBC’s “Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg” on Jan. 7, referred to the scandal as an “appalling miscarriage of justice,” underlining the severity of the situation.