Post Office scandal: Five things we learned from the boss

All eyes were connected outgoing Post Office main enforcement Nick Read this week arsenic helium spent 3 days successful beforehand of the enquiry into the Horizon IT scandal.

Mr Read replaced erstwhile brag Paula Vennels successful 2019 and was brought successful to "right the wrongs of the past".

Wrongful prosecutions whitethorn person stopped, but helium inactive had questions to reply astir however overmuch the organisation has truly changed erstwhile helium gave evidence.

Mr Read had taken permission of lack from his time occupation to hole for the inquiry.

Unlike the quality of his predecessor, Paula Vennells, determination were nary tears. But determination were immoderate cardinal revelations.

Here are 5 things we learned from his evidence.

It has go wide that, either by mishap oregon design, Mr Read was not made alert of the standard of the situation facing him astatine the Post Office.

Between 1999 and 2015, hundreds of sub-postmasters were wrongly prosecuted erstwhile faulty Horizon accounting bundle made it look arsenic though wealth was missing from branches.

When Mr Read took the apical occupation successful September 2019, the organisation had conscionable mislaid 1 High Court judgement to a radical of those wrongfully prosecuted sub-postmasters and was astir to suffer another.

However, determination was nary notation to the ongoing ineligible challenges successful his occupation description. The flawed IT strategy Horizon was not mentioned once.

In fact, the Post Office's apical lawyer reportedly told Mr Read not to "dig into" what had happened successful the past.

He was adjacent told determination was nary "huge PR risk". He said the organisation was partially successful denial, partially successful paralysis.

Regarding the radical who came earlier him, Mr Read told the enquiry that galore of the Post Office's erstwhile leaders "appear not to person been held to account".

Mr Read's enactment has been dogged by contention astir his ain remuneration. His erstwhile HR manager claimed helium was "obsessed" with getting a wage rise.

He admitted helium had been "frustrated astatine times", had repeatedly lobbied for much money, and adjacent took ineligible and PR proposal from friends.

Mr Read said it ne'er became a distraction, but did apologise for however "poor" it looked fixed truthful galore victims are inactive waiting for compensation.

Claims astir bullying, misogyny, and wage had travel from radical who had near nether a cloud, helium said.

He adjacent alleged, successful his written witnesser statement, that 1 of those people, erstwhile seat Henry Staunton, had fallen dormant successful committee meetings.

New figures released this week amusement that £363m has already been paid retired to erstwhile sub-postmasters successful fiscal redress, but galore are inactive waiting.

Before Mr Read began giving his evidence, the enquiry seat emotionally revealed that different unfortunate passed distant past week without ever receiving the wealth she was owed.

The Post Office brag said it was of "deep regret" to him that the process was taking truthful long. He blamed bureaucracy, not prejudice oregon penny pinching.

He said it was "astonishing" that it was his organisation managing immoderate of the schemes, fixed the deficiency of spot radical person successful the Post Office.

Could the authorities beryllium utilizing the Post Office arsenic a "shield" to region itself from compensation decisions? "That could beryllium a description, yes," helium admitted.

For galore sub-postmasters, the continued employment of radical who investigated them oregon were astatine the Post Office astatine the tallness of the ungraded is simply a bony of contention.

Mr Read revealed 3 employees are inactive being investigated arsenic portion of Project Phoenix. That means they've been accused of wrongdoing.

He besides admitted a "handful" of investigators were inactive with the organisation - albeit successful antithetic roles now.

The main enforcement wanted to guarantee the enquiry helium would not disregard circumstantial allegations and would inquire radical to measurement backmost from roles if it helped with sub-postmaster confidence.

However, erstwhile helium was shown gathering notes suggesting ministers were blessed for the Post Office to beryllium much robust and not interest astir employment tribunals, Mr Read was forced to admit they had struggled to "move radical on" from the organisation.

"Where has the wealth gone?" It is 1 of the many, arsenic yet, unanswered questions successful this scandal.

Mr Read was repeatedly questioned astir the whereabouts of the currency enactment up by sub-postmasters to screen evident shortfalls successful their subdivision accounts. The brag enactment a caller fig connected the missing money: £36m.

Mr Read said helium was annoyed it was proving hard to enactment out.

He expressed astonishment astatine survey results suggesting sub-postmasters are inactive facing problems and utilizing their ain savings to marque losses good.

Meanwhile, enquiry lawyers pointed to caller sub-postmaster contracts which inactive notation to the Post Office's investigatory powers, including evidential interrogation processes nether caution. Mr Read admitted this mightiness beryllium "heavy-handed".

Mr Read's grounds mightiness present beryllium complete, but helium has respective months near successful the role. He assured the enquiry helium would walk the clip moving to bring astir much change. Sub-postmasters volition beryllium watching closely.