The Metropolitan Police has confirmed that it has interviewed two people in relation to the Post Office/Fujitsu Horizon software scandal.
In a statement provided to Convenience Store, the Met Police said: “We began an investigation in January 2020 into matters concerning Fujitsu Horizon and the Post Office following a referral from the Director of Public Prosecutions. The investigation is ongoing into potential offences of perjury and perverting the course of justice. These potential offences arise out of investigations and prosecutions carried out by the Post Office.
“We are also investigating potential fraud offences arising out of these prosecutions, for example monies recovered from sub-postmasters as a result of prosecutions or civil actions. Two people have been interviewed under caution to date.
“Our investigation is considering the actions of individuals connected with Fujitsu and the Post Office. We are an interested party to the public inquiry and are monitoring and gathering the evidence it hears.”
Failures of the Horizon technology led to subpostmasters being falsely accused of theft. A public inquiry into the situation is taking place and expected to finish up later this year.
A petition to strip former Post Office CEO Paula Vennells of her CBE has had more than one million signatures. The petition was set up in 2021 but gained traction when the ITV drama aired.
Speaking on BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that Justice Secretary Alex Chalk examining how best to proceed including the exoneration of those convicted or the Post Office stripped of its ability to prosecute. “Obviously, there’s legal complexity in all of those things but he is looking at exactly those areas that you’ve [Kuenssberg] described.
“It is right that we find every which way we can do to try to make this right for the people who were so wrongfully treated at the time.”
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