[Search & Destroy]

Bit of a rum do that one

On the radio earlier about a bloke who’d served 5 years!

This post has been edited by Search & Destroy: 08 January 2024 - 10:16 PM

[60s 70s Spireite]

Search & Destroy, on 08 January 2024 - 10:15 PM, said:

Bit of a rum do that one

On the radio earlier about a bloke who’d served 5 years!

Followed the story for years. Terrible tale
Wasn’t Post Office Counters based in Chesterfield? Anyone local know why the truth wasn’t uncovered earlier?

[moondog]

60s 70s Spireite, on 08 January 2024 - 10:28 PM, said:

Followed the story for years. Terrible tale
Wasn’t Post Office Counters based in Chesterfield? Anyone local know why the truth wasn’t uncovered earlier?

Yes, Financial HQ at Future Walk, which housed and probably still does, the Postmasters Accounts section and if I remember correctly the now infamous Horizon helpline.

[Mr Mercury]

It could do for Ed Davey in an election year, or at the very least be a huge Albatross around his, and therefore the Lib Dems, neck!

[60s 70s Spireite]

moondog, on 08 January 2024 - 10:40 PM, said:

Yes, Financial HQ at Future Walk, which housed and probably still does, the Postmasters Accounts section and if I remember correctly the now infamous Horizon helpline.

Have come across this blog. Chesterfield is mentioned many times. Not read too much, but I saw reference to a lack of double entry recording via Horizon, so if there were reporting errors, they couldn’t be investigated easily.

https://www.postoffi...-office-speaks/

[moondog]

60s 70s Spireite, on 09 January 2024 - 06:42 AM, said:

Have come across this blog. Chesterfield is mentioned many times. Not read too much, but I saw reference to a lack of double entry recording via Horizon, so if there were reporting errors, they couldn't be investigated easily.

https://www.postoffi...-office-speaks/

Chesterfield also gets a mention in the Bates v Post Office Judgment.

A mate of mine used to do Horizon training, I've not seen him for a while to obtain his views but expect he and his colleagues in town wouldn't have been aware of the bugs in the system and Fujitsu's ability to remotely access individual postmasters accounts. That being said individuals ought to have queried why they were being told to tell Postmasters they were the only one's as you'd expect they would know about others having problems with Horizon

[Mr Mercury]

I see KS might not be free from scrutiny over his role, or as usual lack of role, in questioning the PO accounting scandal prosecutions during his time as DPP?
And before the unusual suspects scream foul because it’s from Farage, the same take is in another report that’s behind a paywall so the link is no good.
Looking back at his time as DPP with the JS scandal, and now this, he seems remarkably ineffectual. A sign of things to come perhaps?
https://www.express....CPS-post-office

This post has been edited by Mr Mercury: 09 January 2024 - 09:57 AM

[Looker-on]

Mr Mercury, on 09 January 2024 - 09:30 AM, said:

I see KS might not be free from scrutiny over his role, or as usual lack of role, in questioning the PO accounting scandal prosecutions during his time as DPP?
And before the unusual suspects scream foul because it’s from Farage, the same take is in another report that’s behind a paywall so the link is no good.
Looking back at his time as DPP with the JS scandal, and now this, he seems remarkably ineffectual. A sign of things to come perhaps?
https://www.express....CPS-post-office

Although, Post Office prosecutions were private prosecutions, and Starmer was the Director of Public Prosecutions, so it appears they fell outside his remit.

[Mr Mercury]

Looker-on, on 09 January 2024 - 12:05 PM, said:

Although, Post Office prosecutions were private prosecutions, and Starmer was the Director of Public Prosecutions, so it appears they fell outside his remit.

Not at all..the CPS was directly involved in some prosecutions and they have the ability to take over any private prosecution if they see fit, particularly if its a case that could be considered vexatious, (I had to look that meaning up), or malicious, which these most certainly were. This is pointed out several times in the article.
Obviously KS was in the same camp as Ed Davey on this one..see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. Weak!

This post has been edited by Mr Mercury: 09 January 2024 - 12:56 PM

[Mr Mercury]

Paula Vennells to hand back her CBE. Over to you now Ed, let’s see that resignation letter!

[Westbars Spireite]

Maybe the programme will reveal it (not watched it yet) but how were people successfully prosecuted? If money is stolen it has to go somewhere and there would be evidence of it?

[Town_Fan]

Westbars Spireite, on 09 January 2024 - 06:18 PM, said:

Maybe the programme will reveal it (not watched it yet) but how were people successfully prosecuted? If money is stolen it has to go somewhere and there would be evidence of it?

That was the thing, most of the prosecutions moved forward on the notion that that money was missing. It didnt matter they couldnt find out where it ended up, in the minds of the PO the only logical option was the postmasters must have stolen it.

Now I've not seen this verified elsewhere but if true it really is a shocker, apparently the PO brought in a team of specialist forensic auditors that were suddenly not needed 2 days before they were about to provide their findings, if true then this is where I think we will find criminal negligence against the senior management.

One thing I find very interesting is all of this has been known about for years, a computer magazine wrote about it in 2009 and its been fairly common knowledge that some terrible things have been going on, it's taken a ITV drama to really make people aware and for government to take real action.

[Holmesc1]

Lets hope the victims get there convictions quashed and hefty compensation. Sadly too late for some who took there own lifes

[The Earl of Chesterfield]

Looker-on, on 09 January 2024 - 12:05 PM, said:

Although, Post Office prosecutions were private prosecutions, and Starmer was the Director of Public Prosecutions, so it appears they fell outside his remit.

You must be new to this forum.

Otherwise you'd know little things like facts mean nothing in Farage's world.

Or those of his followers.

Simple truth is successive governments have overseen this scandal - starting with John Major's back in the nineties.

In fact the current one were still awarding hugely lucrative cotracts to the Fujitsu supplying the defective 'Horizon' programme as recently as a few months ago: https://inews.co.uk/...th-700m-2845448

Which is probably why the usual suspects would much rather drag up non stories about the PM in waiting...

[isleaiw1]

The Earl of Chesterfield, on 09 January 2024 - 08:52 PM, said:

You must be new to this forum.

Otherwise you'd know little things like facts mean nothing in Farage's world.

Or those of his followers.

Simple truth is successive governments have overseen this scandal - starting with John Major's back in the nineties.

In fact the current one were still awarding hugely lucrative cotracts to the Fujitsu supplying the defective 'Horizon' programme as recently as a few months ago: https://inews.co.uk/...th-700m-2845448

Which is probably why the usual suspects would much rather drag up non stories about the PM in waiting...

Anyone who oversaw this shambles needs to take a long hard look at their role in it - including Davey, and Starmer. But especially Fujitsu, who seem to have broken every basic rule of auditability in systems by allowing access to their own that looks like the Sub Postmaster....

And then PO for lying time after time, and pushing prosecution rather than trying to get to the root cause of the problem. I wonder what their Internal Audit team and counter fraud departments were doing in all this....

[Mr Mercury]

The Earl of Chesterfield, on 09 January 2024 - 08:52 PM, said:

You must be new to this forum.

Otherwise you'd know little things like facts mean nothing in Farage's world.

Or those of his followers.

Simple truth is successive governments have overseen this scandal - starting with John Major's back in the nineties.

In fact the current one were still awarding hugely lucrative cotracts to the Fujitsu supplying the defective 'Horizon' programme as recently as a few months ago: https://inews.co.uk/...th-700m-2845448

Which is probably why the usual suspects would much rather drag up non stories about the PM in waiting...

As usual you ignore the “facts” when they don’t suit your agenda. As the article quite clearly states, a “fact” which you blatantly ignore, the CPS was involved in some of the prosecutions and has the ability to take over private prosecutions if it sees fit.
Why did you ignore that “fact”..
Let’s hope the “PM in waiting” has the balls to run the country better than his stint as head of the CPS.

This post has been edited by Mr Mercury: 09 January 2024 - 10:18 PM

[The Earl of Chesterfield]

And now we discover a Fujitsu which'd donated to Tory party funds was handed billions - that's billions - of pounds worth of contracts by Rishi Sunak as Chancellor.

No wonder the usual suspects are desperate to make stuff up about SKS...

[Mr Mercury]

The Earl of Chesterfield, on 10 January 2024 - 11:37 AM, said:

And now we discover a Fujitsu which'd donated to Tory party funds was handed billions - that's billions - of pounds worth of contracts by Rishi Sunak as Chancellor.

No wonder the usual suspects are desperate to make stuff up about SKS...

When did they sign the contract for it?
I’ve heard of Farage fan boys but a Starmer suck up is even more in evidence !

This post has been edited by Mr Mercury: 10 January 2024 - 12:25 PM

[Bobby Darling]

Mr Mercury, on 09 January 2024 - 09:30 AM, said:

I see KS might not be free from scrutiny over his role, or as usual lack of role, in questioning the PO accounting scandal prosecutions during his time as DPP?
And before the unusual suspects scream foul because it’s from Farage, the same take is in another report that’s behind a paywall so the link is no good.
Looking back at his time as DPP with the JS scandal, and now this, he seems remarkably ineffectual. A sign of things to come perhaps?
https://www.express....CPS-post-office

You never give up but it’s making you look daft now. Do you really read the Express?

[Holmesc1]

The Earl of Chesterfield, on 10 January 2024 - 11:37 AM, said:

And now we discover a Fujitsu which'd donated to Tory party funds was handed billions - that's billions - of pounds worth of contracts by Rishi Sunak as Chancellor.

No wonder the usual suspects are desperate to make stuff up about SKS...

Have a day off man.