Post Office Issues Landmark Apology Over IT Scandal
The Post Office has made a significant and historic apology regarding a second IT scandal that dates back over three decades, first brought to light in The i Paper. In a heartfelt letter addressed to the widower of a former sub-postmistress, Ken Tooby, the Post Office acknowledged the “significant failings” of a software system known as Capture, which was implemented in the 1990s.
Simon Recaldin, the director of the Remediation Unit at the Post Office, expressed his sincere and unreserved apology on behalf of the organization and himself. He stated, “It is clear through the efforts of former Postmasters and their families that there were significant failings at the Post Office relating to Capture.” This acknowledgment comes too late for June Tooby, who spent years fighting against the Post Office over missing funds from her branch in the North East. Despite her struggles, she was sued for over £55,000 plus interest in 2003, even after being dismissed from her position. Sadly, she passed away in 2020 at the age of 71.
It was due to a collection of documents that Mrs. Tooby preserved in her loft that Capture campaigners were able to shed light on the scandal. Among these documents was her original receipt confirming the Post Office’s sale of the computer system Capture to sub-postmasters in the 1990s. This system, utilized by at least 2,500 sub-postmasters between 1992 and 1999, was notorious for its bugs and glitches, which led to numerous accounting discrepancies.
In a disturbing parallel to the Horizon scandal, sub-postmasters were often coerced into repaying funds, faced with termination of employment, and in some instances, were even criminally prosecuted. Currently, at least 27 convictions are under review by a miscarriages of justice watchdog, while the government is actively working on establishing a new compensation scheme to provide restitution for those affected.
Recaldin’s letter further emphasized, “We are truly sorry for these failings and their impact on all concerned, including your late wife June. We deeply regret that June was not able to receive this apology herself, see these issues recognized alongside the Horizon scandal, denied the opportunity to see the truth uncovered, for justice to prevail, and to have her good name restored.”
Mr. Tooby has been invited to receive a personal apology from the Post Office, should he choose to accept it. In an interview with The i Paper, both Mr. Tooby and his niece, Vivian, expressed that the apology means “the world” to them. Mr. Tooby remarked, “It’s the exoneration that we wanted. It will bring me a bit of peace of mind. We’ve come a long way from last year when no one knew anything about Capture.” He also expressed hope that this apology would assist those with wrongful convictions in having their cases overturned.
This apology has sparked renewed inquiries into who possessed knowledge of the issues surrounding the Capture scandal and when they were aware. The letter mentions an independent investigation conducted by the US firm Kroll, which revealed that information about bugs in the system “was not formally shared between Post Office control functions (e.g., IT and audit functions),” and it appears these issues were not considered as potential factors contributing to the shortfalls for which Postmasters were pursued by the Post Office.
However, this assertion seems to contradict some evidence retained by Mrs. Tooby, indicating that discussions about Capture’s problems occurred among Post Office IT leaders and legal teams. Notably, Mrs. Tooby kept a bulletin sent to staff by the IT department in March 1996, which advised sub-postmasters to maintain “manual” records in conjunction with using the computer system, as current automated systems were deemed inadequate for providing a clear audit trail for transactions or cash and stock holdings at any specific time.
Mrs. Tooby always believed that faults within the Capture system contributed to the accounting issues at her branch. A transcript from her civil case in 2003 reveals that this assertion was denied under oath by a Post Office investigator.
Moreover, a troubleshooting guide for Capture sent to sub-postmasters, which Mrs. Tooby preserved, detailed instances of “bugs” within the system. Recently, sub-postmasters convened with government officials to discuss the formulation of compensation schemes for those adversely impacted by Capture-related shortfalls. A spokesperson from the Department for Business and Trade stated, “Officials met with postmasters today as part of the Government’s commitment to develop an effective and fair redress process that considers the circumstances of those affected by Capture. Ensuring postmasters are treated with dignity and respect is our absolute priority, and we will continue to provide updates on the development of the redress mechanism as it progresses.”
