A public outcry led to Ms Vennells announcing she would be hand back her CBE
Former Post Office boss Paula Vennells will give evidence this week at the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry. Ms Vennells was chief executive of the firm from 2012 to 2019, presiding over a period of post office closures and prosecutions of sub-post office staff accused of account shortfalls.
“I am truly sorry for the devastation caused to the sub-postmasters and their families, whose lives were torn apart by being wrongly accused and wrongly prosecuted as a result of the Horizon system”, she added. It paved the way for the sub-post office staff to challenge their convictions in court and the governmen tto stablish an inquiry in what had happened.Ms Vennells stepped down from her role as chief executive of the Post Office in 2019, following criticism over her role in the Horizon scandal.The 65-year-old is scheduled as a witness on the inquiry’s website for three days covering Wednesday, Thursday 23 May and Friday 24 May.
Former Post Office people services director Angela van den Bogerd giving evidence to the Post Office Horizon IT Inquiry in central London in April. who have already appeared in the inquiry include Angela van den Bogerd, a former Post Office executive, who gave evidence last month. Although he has been summoned to give evidence twice in the ongoing public inquiry, both occasions have been postponed. Mr Jenkins has also requested immunity twice.Sir Wyn Williams, the inquiry chairman, said: “I am satisfied that Mr Jenkins has not been the victim of unfairness as yet and I am determined that he should not become the victim of unfairness as the work of the inquiry progresses.
Paul Patterson agreed the company had failed sub-postmasters: “I am surprised that that detail was not included in the witness statements given by Fujitsu staff to the Post Office and I have seen some evidence of editing witness statements by others.”The inquiry will take a half-term break between 25 May and 2 June and will resume on Monday 3 June.
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