The government is examining ways to speed up the appeals process for wrongly convicted Post Office branch managers after what has been described as one of the worst miscarriages of justice in British history.
Moves could include exonerating all those involved or removing the Post Office’s ability to investigate or prosecute suspecter officers, Rishi Sunak has confirmed.
Mr Sunak told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme that ministers should look at “every which way we can” to help those embroiled in the scandal.
MPs are expected to tackle ministers over the issue when parliament re-opens after the Christmas holidays on Monday.
There has been widespread public outcry after ITV aired a drama, Mr Bates Vs The Post Office, based on the scandal.
Asked if there could be exonerations or the government could remove the Post Office’s ability to investigate and prosecute, the prime minister said: “The justice secretary (Alex Chalk) is looking at the things that you’ve described, it wouldn’t be right to pre-empt that process, obviously there’s legal complexity in all of those things but he is looking at exactly those areas.”
He added: “Everyone has been shocked by watching what they have done over the past few days and beyond and it is an appalling miscarriage of justice.
“Obviously it’s something that happened in the Nineties but actually seeing it and hearing about it again just shows what an appalling miscarriage of justice it is for everyone affected and it’s important that those people now get the justice they deserve, and that’s what the compensation schemes are about.
“The government has paid out about £150m to thousands of people already. Of course, we want to get the money to the people as quickly as possible, that’s why there are interim payments of up to, I think, £600,000 that can be made. There are three different schemes available and for anyone affected they should come forward.”
The Post Office was actually prosecuting people caught up in the scandal as recently as 2015.
Former Tory minister John Redwood said: “The Post Office scandal shows the dangers of a nationalised industry having special powers to abuse and prosecute its staff.”
Fujitsu’s faulty Horizon accounting software made it appear as though money was missing from outlets, and branch managers were forced to pay back thousands of pounds.
Hundreds of people were convicted based on the computer faults and many are yet to have their convictions quashed.
Scotland Yard said on Friday night that officers were “investigating potential fraud offences arising out of these prosecutions”, for example “monies recovered from subpostmasters as a result of prosecutions or civil actions”.
The police had already been looking into potential offences of perjury and perverting the course of justice.
Kevan Jones, the Labour MP for North Durham, who sits on the Horizon compensation advisory board, told the Sunday Times: “It is quite clear from the evidence presented to the public inquiry and in court, that the victims of this scandal should have their convictions quashed and their good names restored.”
His constituent, Tom Brown, a former subpostmaster in Newcastle upon Tyne, was wrongly accused of stealing £85,000 in 2008. He lost his home and was made bankrupt.
Former subpostmaster Lee Castleton, who was pursued through the courts and went bankrupt, said “more pressure” was needed to ensure victims get help.
He told the BBC: “It has been very difficult to push our cause. We are just people from your village shop or your local post office. It is really hard to draw up support and it has been very difficult to get people to believe.”
He added: “I would like people to contact their MP and put pressure on people to help us. The group has always needed help. If there is one thing I have learned, it is that support makes this work. It is very lonely being the only one, as the Post Office would constantly tell each of the victims.
“Now we are together in this and we just need to keep walking forward no matter what the punches are, no matter how hard the war gets. We just need to keep pushing.”
