Former Post Office CEO Paula Vennells faced her second day of testimony at the Post Office inquiry, where she was questioned about her knowledge of the Horizon IT system and the prosecutions of sub-postmasters during her tenure.
On the first day, Vennells tearfully defended herself, claiming she was unaware of the flaws in the Horizon system and the Post Office’s power to prosecute sub-postmasters. However, on the second day, her testimony focused on her actions once she became aware of the issues.
Vennells admitted to not knowing about bugs in the Horizon system or the ability to remotely access branch accounts before becoming CEO. She also stated that she was unaware of the Post Office’s history of conducting its own prosecutions.
Inquiry counsel Jason Beer questioned Vennells about her handling of the situation once she became aware of the miscarriages of justice. He pointed to correspondence between Vennells and the Post Office’s former communications director, Mark Davies, where Vennells suggested a review of false accounting cases from the previous five to 10 years. This plan was never pursued.
When asked if this amounted to “a lost decade until miscarriages of justice were discovered,” Vennells agreed that it may have been.
Beer then raised the question of why the plan was not pursued, and Vennells’ response was drowned out by groans from the sub-postmasters in the room. She claimed to not remember the advice of the PR advisor and that she did not work in that manner.
However, Beer produced an email from Vennells to Davies, where she wrote, “You were right to call this out. And I will take your steer, no issue.” The email also mentioned the need to manage the media and address the concerns of certain individuals.
When asked if she took the advice of the PR advisor, Vennells’ response was met with derision from the sub-postmasters and prompted chair Sir Wyn Williams to call for order.
Throughout her testimony, Vennells has consistently claimed to not remember key details, including a 2013 board meeting where she stated, “My recollection is that I don’t recall.”
The former CEO’s actions and decisions have been called into question, and the inquiry continues to investigate the role she played in the prosecutions of innocent sub-postmasters.
