Government Investigations May Have Tainted DWP Prosecutions In Post Office Scandal
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In a recent investigation conducted by Sky News, it has been revealed that the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) may have collaborated with discredited Post Office investigators in securing convictions against sub-postmasters. This collaboration raises questions about the integrity of the prosecutions and whether they were tainted from the start.
According to the investigation, around 100 prosecutions of Post Office staff were led by the DWP between 2001 and 2006. These cases typically involved the cashing in of stolen order books. However, the Post Office itself has been found to have wrongly prosecuted hundreds of sub-postmasters between 1999 and 2015, based on evidence from the faulty Horizon accounting system.
The Sky News investigation has uncovered that information was shared between Post Office investigation teams and the DWP. This has prompted concerns from Sir Robert Neill KC, Chair of the Justice Select Committee, who believes that the DWP convictions must be reviewed. He stated, “If we are saying their approach was tainted from the beginning – in the way the investigators adopted things – then joint operations I suspect would be just as tainted.”
These concerns were echoed by Lord James Arbuthnot, a former MP and long-time advocate for the victims of the Post Office scandal. He has announced his intention to seek further information from ministers in the House of Lords.
Documents obtained by Sky News have also revealed a connection between DWP and Post Office investigations. A 2003 DWP report on fraud mentions “joint working” and the “sharing of information” with the Post Office. Additionally, a 2003 letter from then-post affairs minister Stephen Timms references a specific case where the DWP led the prosecution of a sub-postmaster.
One of the cases highlighted in the investigation is that of Roger Allen, a sub-postmaster from Norwich who was convicted in 2004 for stealing pension payments. He passed away in March of this year, and his daughter Keren Simpson is now fighting to clear her father’s name. She believes that the DWP must provide evidence to support their prosecution, stating, “Show me it.”
In another case, documents suggest failures by DWP investigators in securing evidence against a sub-postmaster who was ultimately acquitted. These failures include neglecting their duty to secure evidence and not reviewing transaction logs that could have exonerated the accused.
Former sub-postmaster and campaigner Chris Head has also seen these documents and believes they point to a “deeply flawed” investigation by the DWP. He stated, “They failed to obtain all transaction logs for the entirety of this case, but the ones that they have, they have clearly not looked at.” He believes that there may be more cases like this that could be part of a miscarriage of justice.
A spokesperson for the Department for Work and Pensions has denied any wrongdoing, stating that the DWP “investigates offences against the welfare system to protect taxpayers’ money.” They also stated that these cases did not rely on evidence from the Horizon system, and this has been accepted by the Court of Appeal.
The Post Office has also responded to the investigation, stating that they will continue to assist other prosecuting authorities in their work. They have also shared all the information they have in relation to prosecutions brought by other prosecutors.
In light of these findings, Lord Sikka has tabled an amendment in the House of Lords to the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Bill to include all DWP convictions. This amendment aims to ensure that all convictions related to the Post Office scandal are reviewed and potentially overturned.
