The ongoing criminal investigation into the Post Office scandal has been announced to be expanding with the involvement of 80 detectives. The Metropolitan Police began examining possible offences, including perjury and perverting the course of justice, in January 2020. As the public inquiry into the scandal progresses, this investigation is now extending to police forces across the UK.
Hundreds of sub-postmasters were wrongfully convicted of theft and false accounting due to a faulty IT system known as Horizon. Met Commander Stephen Clayman, who is overseeing the investigation, acknowledged the “widespread and devastating impact” of the scandal. He stated, “A team of detectives has been tirelessly sifting through millions of documents manually and with the assistance of specialized software, in parallel with the public inquiry. This process is extremely time-consuming and we cannot afford to cut corners and risk missing crucial evidence.”
Due to the significant scale of the investigation, the National Police Chiefs’ Council has agreed that the next phase will be a national effort led by the Met, with the pursuit of justice as its primary objective. Commander Clayman stressed the gravity of the task at hand and assured that the investigation will be carried out with complete independence, precision, and integrity.
In recent developments, it has been revealed that more than £1 million in profit may have been generated by the Post Office from victims of the scandal. Additionally, Scotland has announced plans to exonerate sub-postmasters who were wrongfully convicted. The Post Office and Fujitsu, the company responsible for developing the Horizon software, have been under police investigation for over four years following a referral from the Director of Public Prosecutions. However, a final charging decision can only be made once the public inquiry concludes. While hearings are set to wrap up later this year, the final report may not be published until late 2025.
According to The Guardian, the investigating officers have requested £6.75 million from the government to support their expanded efforts. With the determination to uncover the truth and bring justice to those affected, the investigation continues to progress.
