Post Office CEO Steps Back Temporarily to Prepare for Next Stage of Horizon Scandal Inquiry
The Post Office has announced that chief executive Nick Read will be stepping back from his role temporarily in order to focus on the next stage of the Horizon scandal inquiry. The company stated that Mr. Read, who took over from Paula Vennells in 2019, wants to give his “entire attention” to the hearings in September that will examine current practices at the Post Office.
In a note to staff, Mr. Read stated that it is crucial for the company to demonstrate the changes that have been made and to instill confidence in the inquiry and the public that such a scandal could never happen again. The specific details of Mr. Read’s temporary absence, including whether he will be taking a summer holiday during this time, were not disclosed by the company.
During Mr. Read’s absence, his deputy Owen Woodley will assume the day-to-day business operations from July 15th until the end of August, according to the Post Office.
The Horizon scandal, which occurred between 1999 and 2015, involved faulty accounting software provided by Fujitsu that resulted in over 700 sub-postmasters being wrongfully prosecuted for theft and false accounting. While their convictions have since been overturned, many are still struggling to receive full compensation.
The ongoing inquiry has heard testimony from key figures involved in the scandal, including Ms. Vennells, who resigned amid public outrage after the release of the ITV drama Mr Bates vs the Post Office. Ms. Vennells admitted to being too trusting of individuals involved in handling questions about past prosecutions and referred to it as a “lost decade” in identifying the miscarriages of justice.
Mr. Read’s tenure as CEO has been dominated by the aftermath of the scandal and efforts to restore confidence in the Post Office. In February of this year, the business and trade committee of MPs expressed a lack of confidence in his leadership, accusing him of giving misleading evidence on multiple occasions. However, he denied claims from a former colleague that he had threatened to resign unless his pay was improved.
A Post Office spokesperson stated that appropriate preparation for a corporate witness statement is essential and that the company is fortunate to have a strong senior executive group to support postmasters during the busy summer trading period.
The inquiry also heard from a government official who wrote in a 2016 email that there is “something Teflon” about Ms. Vennells, referencing her ability to maintain a good reputation despite her involvement in the scandal. The inquiry was also made aware of concerns raised about Ms. Vennells’ leadership abilities in 2014, with one document questioning why she was being paid a high salary if she was not performing well.
The government official, Richard Callard, admitted to a lack of curiosity when it came to issues with Horizon and was challenged on an email he sent referring to the software issues as a “smoking gun that does not exist.” He defended his choice of words, stating that he had not heard of any specific problems with Horizon causing losses to sub-postmasters. However, when pressed, he admitted that he had formed the view that there would be no smoking gun found in the investigation.
