MPs are urging the Japanese tech company Fujitsu to make an "immediate" payment towards the compensation bill for victims of the Post Office IT scandal. Liam Byrne, the Labour MP who chairs the business and trade committee, said too many branch operators are still waiting for redress after being wrongly prosecuted due to faulty Horizon software.
Calls for Urgent Action
Byrne stated that "justice delayed has become justice denied" for many victims and urged the government to "do whatever" it takes to help them. He emphasized that the government must allocate all necessary resources to ensure every outstanding Horizon shortfall claim is settled by the end of this year, saying "complexity is no longer an excuse for delay."
Fujitsu's Role
Fujitsu supplied the faulty Horizon software to the UK Post Office, leading to what has been described as the worst miscarriage of justice in British history. The scandal was the subject of the acclaimed ITV drama Mr Bates vs the Post Office. Despite admitting it knew since the 1990s that the system was faulty, Fujitsu has not yet contributed to the £1.5bn compensation bill, which has been footed by UK taxpayers.
Byrne called on Fujitsu to "stop sitting on the sidelines," stating it is "extraordinary that a company at the heart of the greatest miscarriage of justice in British history has still failed to set out either the scale or the timetable for its contribution to compensation." He demanded an immediate interim payment, a commitment to a timetable for meeting its full liability, and help to "bring this shameful chapter to a close."
Redress Schemes
There are three Horizon-related redress schemes for victims: the Horizon shortfall scheme (HSS), the group litigation order, and the Horizon convictions redress scheme. The HSS, the largest, is administered by the Post Office and offers a fixed sum of £75,000 or the option to pursue a higher amount. In March, the business and trade committee found that offers were routinely overturned and increased after an appeal.
Last year, the first part of the public inquiry into the scandal by retired judge Sir Wyn Williams found that the Post Office and its advisers had often adopted an "unnecessarily adversarial attitude" towards those seeking financial redress. The second part of the report, expected to focus on the Horizon system's flaws and the cultures of the Post Office and Fujitsu, has not yet been released.
Fujitsu's Response
The pressure on Fujitsu comes as the company reported that its chair, Hidenori Furuta, resigned after its board became aware of his "woman-related inappropriate conduct." Regarding redress for victims, Fujitsu stated: "We believe it is the right thing to do for Fujitsu to contribute to compensation and, as we have consistently stated, this will be agreed with government after Sir Wyn has published the findings of his inquiry. Our conversations with government regarding our contribution are ongoing."
A government spokesperson said: "This report recognises the progress that has been made so far in delivering redress but there is clearly more to do. Some claims are more complex and take longer to resolve, and we must avoid placing undue pressure on vulnerable claimants. We will continue processing these cases as quickly as possible to end the wait for full and fair redress."
