Former Post Office chief at centre of IT scandal ought to ‘think about returning CBE’
Former Post Office chief Paula Vennells ought to think about sending again her CBE over the IT scandal, a Tory minister urged at this time.
Kevin Hollinrake, the minister liable for postal providers, was grilled after victims demanded the Government will get transferring with funds.
In an apology to these impacted, the previous Business Secretary Grant Shapps stated 13 months in the past he hoped “most cases can be resolved before the end of 2023”. But Mr Hollinrake admitted a whole bunch of payouts have been but to be finalised as he confronted an interrogation on ITV’s Good Morning Britain.
Presenter Susanna Reid held up a duplicate of yesterday’s Daily Mirror on the Post Office Scandal and requested the Tory minister: “Why can’t we just pay them the money?”
Mr Hollinrake insisted the method and claims have been “highly complex” and stated the Government had dedicated to an August 7 deadline for making provides.
He highlighted that Ms Vennells – CEO of the Post Office from 2012 to 2019 – was made a CBE within the 2019 New Year Honours List for providers to the organisation. In 2021, she apologised for the “suffering” brought on after 39 subpostmasters’ convictions have been quashed by the Court of Appeal.
Mr Hollinrake stated: “I think that matter needs to be looked at. If I was Paula Vennells, I would seriously consider handing that back voluntarily.”
He added: “But we’ve got an inquiry… looking at all the evidence. That should identify who is responsible, in the Post Office or indeed potentially in Fujitsu, and those people wherever possible should be held to account.”
Pressed on whether or not any particular person whose lies or dishonesty has led to an harmless particular person going to jail must be prosecuted, he stated: “That seems reasonable. I’m not a lawyer or a prosecutor, so there needs to be a legal route to that.”
Victims of the scandal accused the Government of dragging its heels over compensation, 24 years after their wrongful convictions for stealing. More than 700 department managers have been prosecuted by the Post Office between 1999 and 2015, in what has been described as probably the most widespread miscarriage of justice in UK historical past.
Earlier this week, one of many wrongly convicted, Alan Bates, demanded compensation be handed over earlier than extra folks die of previous age, with greater than 60 already having handed away.
The former sub-postmaster is performed by Toby Jones in ITV’s new four-part drama Mr Bates vs The Post Office. In December, the Department for Business and Trade stated 93 convictions have to this point been overturned and £138million paid out to 2,700 claimants.
