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Independent detectives who put Post Office and its Horizon system under spotlight dealtwith aggressiveness as they seen cover-up
By
- Karl Flinders, Chief pressreporter and senior editor EMEA
Published: 19 Jun 2024 9: 45
Independent forensic accountingprofessionals contracted to examine questionable Post Office Horizon system in 2012 explain Post Office cover-ups, risks, blockage and the “worst business behaviour” seen in their long professions.
During the mostcurrent Post Office Horizon scandal public questions, privateinvestigators Second Sight exposed the lengths the Post Office went to in its efforts to avoid understanding of defects in its Horizon computersystem system and prosecution malpractice being exposed.
Ian Henderson and Ron Warmington of Second Sight were contracted to examine the Horizon system after MPs required the Post Office to launch an independent evaluation of the under-fire Horizon system.
In 2009, Computer Weekly exposed the issues being skilled by subpostmasters utilizing the Horizon system. Many were prosecuted when inexplicable losses emerged and numerous others were economically destroyed. After Computer Weekly released its examination and subpostmasters formed a project group, pressure was put on the Post Office to examine accusations about Horizon issues.
Second Sight were designated by MPs and the Justice for Subpostmasters Alliance (JFSA) project group to do an examination, which was paid for by the Post Office.
However, throughout the newest public questions hearing, it emerged that it wasn’t long before Second Sight started to reveal stunning proof of Horizon issues and dealtwith Post Office blockages to their work
‘Clear miscarriages of justice’
Henderson, a forensic accountingprofessional who had formerly worked for Criminal Cases Review Commission, stated that by July 2013, simply a year after Second Sight started examining, it endedupbeing rapidly evident that subpostmasters hadactually been mistakenly prosecuted based on proof from the Horizon system, with resulting miscarriages of justice.
He composed in his witness declaration to the questions: “Post Office Horizon was not the robust, error-free system declared by[Post Office] I was likewise worried about the prospective loss of stability triggered by working practices within Fujitsu, such as remote gainaccessto without the understanding or authorization of specific subpostmasters. I was start to type the view that no prosecution relying on Horizon proof might be safe.”
He informed the query that MPs, consistingof leading voice James Arbuthnot, then MP for North East Hampshire, desired capacity miscarriages of justice examined by Second Sight. But Henderson stated: “[Post Office CEO] Paula Vennells was significantly trying to guide us away from thinkingabout the security of convictions.”
He likewise explained Post Office’s tries to cover-up proof of Horizon mistakes and prosecution malpractice, as well as its tries to silence him.
In June 2015, Henderson got a letter from Post Office legalrepresentative Rodric Williams, specifying that a report about the examination into previous subpostmaster Jo Hamilton, who had experienced inexplicable accounting shortages, oughtto be fortunate. It consistedof a paragraph describing that no proof of theft hadactually been discovered.
Henderson informed the query: “I discovered this assertion to be ridiculous and to be tremendously stressing. It was start to appearance more like a cover-up than a authentic issue about legal expert advantage.”
Hamilton was required to plead guilty to incorrect accounting to prevent a possible prison sentence. Her wrongful conviction was reversed in 2021.
Henderson was even threatened by Post Office executives. He was informed by the Post Office’s acting basic counsel Chris Aujard to “be mindful” about what he stated.
“He informed me that if I stated anything that hurt [Post Office], [it] would not thinktwice to take legal action versus me under the terms of my non-disclosure arrangement and that I would not be able to payfor the legal charges. I took this as a veryfinely veiled danger to insolvent me if I continued triggering difficulty,” he included.
‘Worst business behaviour’
Henderson’s company partner, Ron Warmington, likewise appeared before the query. The Second Sight director and 40-year veteran of examinations at significant services consistingof Citi Bank and General Electric, informed the public query he experienced the “worst business behaviour” he has ever come throughout.
In a 2015 discussion with a subpostmaster, exposed to the query, Warmington stated: “I’ve been an privateinvestigator for about 40 years. I’ve done other tasks at