Fujitsu should pay bill for Post Office scandal if responsible, says government

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IT big Fujitsu should repay the “fortune” spent on the Post Office scandal if it’s discovered culpable, justice secretary Alex Chalk has advised.

Rishi Sunak’s government will wish to “secure proper recompense on behalf of the taxpayer” if the general public inquiry delivers a damning verdict on the agency behind the defective Horizon software program, Mr Chalk mentioned.

It comes as a Post Office investigator described as having a “heavy footprint” is because of give proof for the inquiry’s first listening to of the 12 months on Thursday.

Mr Sunak introduced that a whole bunch of subpostmasters in England and Wales would have their names cleared by the top of the 12 months below blanket laws to be launched inside weeks.

And Mr Chalk advised that Fujitsu should foot a big a part of the compensation bill if the inquiry finds the “scale of the incompetence is as we might imagine”.

While the proposals have been broadly welcomed, The PM is dealing with growing calls to go additional and bar Fujitsu from securing government contracts and pursue the agency for funds.

Mr Chalk mentioned the government would wait for the conclusions of the inquiry chaired by retired choose Sir Wyn Williams earlier than it decides what motion to take towards the corporate.

“But bluntly, if the scale of the incompetence is as we might imagine, then I simply would want to secure proper recompense on behalf of the taxpayer,” the cupboard minister advised ITV’s Peston.

“It’s absolutely right that there should be justice across the piece – yes for the subpostmasters which we’re talking about today – but frankly also for the taxpayer. This has cost and will cost a fortune.”

If Fujitsu is discovered to be at fault, it “should face the consequences”, Mr Chalk added, in an indication ministers might launch authorized motion towards the Japanese firm.

Post Office minister Kevin Hollinrake additionally advised BBC Newsnight that it might be “only right” for Fujitsu to contribute to compensation bill if the inquiry finds it bears a variety of the duty for the scandal.

Hundreds of Post Office department managers have been convicted of swindling cash on the idea of proof from the tech big’s flawed Horizon accounting system.

Those whose convictions are quashed are eligible for a £600,000 compensation fee, or probably extra if they undergo a course of of getting their declare individually assessed.

There may even be a brand new upfront fee of £75,000 to lots of the 700 or so affected, as Mr Sunak mentioned harmless folks embroiled within the fiasco can be “swiftly exonerated and compensated”.

Ministers are setting apart as much as £1bn for compensation. Mr Hollinrake defined within the Commons that the victims can be eligible for compensation just by signing a declaration that they hadn’t dedicated any crime.

Alan Bates – the previous subpostmaster on whom the current ITV collection centre – mentioned it was “about time” for the transfer to exonerate Post Office workers – however warned that “the devil is in the detail” relating to the government’s laws.

But requested if he can be celebrating the victory, the 69-year-old advised The Times “you must be joking” as he and lots of others are but to obtain ultimate compensation.

Mr Bates advised The Mirror: “£75,000 is an alternative to having your case independently assessed, so for the smaller cases, it will probably suffice. But for many cases, it is not enough.”

Ministers have acknowledged the novel plan of a legislation to implement mass exoneration might lead to some subpostmasters who did commit crimes being wrongly cleared – however insisted the method was the best approach of coping with the overwhelming majority who have been victims.

Lord Ken MacDonald, the previous director of Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), mentioned it amounted to “parliament seizing from the courts and from the judges … I hope it doesn’t come back to bite us.”

Fujitsu’s continued involvement in main IT schemes has raised considerations. Ministers tried to stop the agency getting extra official work however this proved “impossible” regardless of its “woeful” efficiency, a Tory peer revealed on Wednesday.

Lord Maude, who served as Cabinet Office minister below David Cameron, mentioned procurement guidelines thwarted ministers’ efforts. He mentioned if Fujitsu had “any sense of honour” it might swiftly make a big fee in the direction of the compensation packages.

The public inquiry, whose first listening to of the 12 months on Thursday will characteristic Post Office investigator Stephen Bradshaw, is ready to maintain the scandal within the headlines.

Mr Bradshaw has been described as having a “heavy footprint” within the scandal after being concerned within the prison investigation of 9 subpostmasters.